* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] ALL RIGHT. WELCOME [CALL TO ORDER] EVERYONE. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UM, WITH THIS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING. IT IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2025 AT 6:00 PM WE'RE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER, ROOM 1405 AT 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND WE WILL START BY ESTABLISHING QUORUM. AND WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER CHANG. SET HERE. AYE. GOOD. COMMISSIONER FLURY. HERE. COMMISSIONER RESI. HERE. COMMISSIONER RETA EZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. HERE. COMMISSIONER BRIMER HERE. AND I'M VICE CHAIR KRUEGER. AND THAT IS QUORUM. UM, SO NEXT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. LAST, LAST WEEK'S MEETING, OR NOT LAST WEEK'S, LAST MEETINGS. UH, VICE CHAIR, BEFORE Y'ALL DO THAT, YOU HAVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. OKAY. COMMUNICATION. WE DO, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'LL START WITH PUBLIC [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL] COMMUNICATION. SO FIRST UP WE HAVE ANN INGER. I, HELLO. UM, MY NAME IS ANNE INGER. I AM HERE AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THIS VERY BIG, BEAUTIFUL TREE. AND IT IS A HERITAGE LIVE OAK THAT IS THREATENED. UH, FIRST I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT THE TREE, AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND WHY I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IT. UH, THE TREE, I MEASURED IT AT AROUND 52 INCHES IN DIAMETER. IT IS ON A VERY STEEP SLOPE, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE UNDERSTORY IS VERY DENSE, SO IT'S HARD TO SEE THAT THE TREE IS THIS BIG. UM, AND AT THE BASE OF THE SLOPE, THERE ARE TWO PONDS THAT BECOME PART OF A SEASONAL CREEK. UM, THERE IS A NATURE TRAIL THAT CONNECTS TO THE BALCONES CANYON LAND PRESERVE THROUGH THIS AREA. THIS IS LOCATED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. IT'S OWNED BY A NONPROFIT, BUT THEY ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO USE THE TRAILS AND IT, YOU CAN GO TO THE, UM, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BULL CREEK, UH, TRAIL NETWORK FROM THERE. UM, SO THAT IS OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL TREE. HOW DO I CHANGE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? THERE WE GO. AND IT IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF 360 AND BLUFF STONE. UH, RIGHT NOW THEY ARE, UM, DOING SOME CONSTRUCTION THERE TO MOVE THE TELECOM LINES. THAT'S ALL ON THE EASEMENT. AND, UM, THE RED RECTANGLE THAT IS APPROXIMATELY WHERE, UM, I THINK THE TEXAS GAS COMPANY HAS PROPOSED TO CLEAR THE LAND ON THAT SLOPE TO MAKE SPACE FOR, UH, THEIR STAGING EQUIPMENT. THEY NEED TO MOVE THEIR PIPELINE. AND THAT IS OFF THE EASEMENT. AND IT IS VERY CLOSE TO THIS REALLY BIG TREE. THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO KNOW THAT IT'S THERE AND HARD TO REALIZE HOW BIG IT IS. THE BLUE OVALS ARE THE PONDS, AND THEN THE BROWN LINE, WHICH IS KIND OF HARD TO SEE, THAT IS THE TRAIL. UM, SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS TREE BECAUSE OF BOTH THE 360, UH, PROJECT AS WELL AS THE TEXAS GAS COMPANY POSSIBLY CLEARING THE LAND. THAT'S SLOPE. IT'S VERY STEEP, AND ONCE EROSION SETS IN, IT REALLY GOES. AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PHOTO HERE, UM, THAT'S ALREADY SOIL EROSION OFF OF 360 FROM WHERE THEY'VE CLEARED THE LAND JUST TO MOVE THE TELECOM LINES. AND I KNOW THAT ENGINEERS CAN DO ABSOLUTELY AMAZING THINGS WHEN THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND THEY HAVE TIME TO PLAN. AND SO WHAT I'M HOPING IS THAT THE COMMISSION CAN COME OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS TREE, MEASURE IT, FIGURE OUT WHERE THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE IS, AND JUST ENSURE THAT ALL OF THESE CONSTRUCTION PLANS ARE GOING TO PROTECT THIS TREE BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A BIG SPECIAL TREE. GO BACK TO IT. THERE WE GO. IT'S A REALLY COOL TREE. AND WE HATE TO LOSE TREES LIKE THAT. UH, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS JUST A LACK OF PLANNING. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL LETTING CITIZENS COME UP AND EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS. HAVE A GOOD ONE. THANK YOU. ELIZABETH, COULD WE GET A COPY OF THAT SENT? THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE KIMERY DUDA WHO HAS SIX MINUTES SOME TIME HAS BEEN DONATED TO THEM CALLING IN. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES. THANK YOU. HI. UM, YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. YES. THANK YOU. OH, FANTASTIC. [00:05:01] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GREETINGS FROM THE RIO. RIO. I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON. I AM, UM, HONORED TO BE SPEAKING TONIGHT AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO OUR ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTIN. MY NAME IS KIMERY DODA. I'M THE FOUNDER OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL. THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IS A COMPANY I STARTED IN 2006, SO THIS IS OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY. AND WE'VE BEEN PROUD PARTNERS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT SINCE THAT, UM, START DATE. AND WE ARE A CONCESSION ON TOWN LAKE AND OPERATE, USE THAT SPACE OF PARKLAND TO EDUCATE AND, UH, CHAMPION ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND REALLY TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO BE SAFE ON THE WATER. UM, I'M ON THE RIO RIO BECAUSE WE ALSO ARE PROFESSIONAL GUIDES AND EDUCATORS, AND THIS WEEK WE'RE GUIDING 106 STUDENTS FROM A TITLE ONE SCHOOL ON THE RIO RIO. SO, AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING THERE. UM, EVERY YEAR WE ARE, UH, HONORED TO SUBMIT OUR PUBLIC IMPACT FOR THE YEAR AND WOULD LOVE TO PRESENT OUR SUCCESSES FOR, UH, THE LAST 2025, UH, YEAR DOING BUSINESS ON CITY PARK LAND. CAN Y'ALL SEE THE SLIDE THAT'S GOT OUR LOGO? UH, WE, YES, WE SEE YOUR LOGO RIGHT HERE. OKAY. FANTASTIC. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO IS WE PROVIDE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THIS INCLUDES STANDUP, PADDLEBOARD, CANOE, AND KAYAK LESSONS TO ADAPTIVE POPULATIONS EVERY WEEK. WE OFFER FREE AND AFFORDABLE KAYAK CANOE AND PADDLEBOARD SESSIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A SD THAT'S AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, DEAF WINE AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND ALSO FIRST TIME PADDLERS. UH, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF WOMEN PARTICULARLY SEEK US OUT TO HELP THEM PLAN EXPEDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. AND SO THEY'LL COME AND, AND ASK US QUESTIONS AND PADDLE WITH US ON T LAKE IN PREPARATION TO, TO GO BEYOND THE CITY LIMIT. AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY FUN TO SEE LOCAL AUSTINITE UTILIZE US IN THAT CAPACITY. WE PROVIDE RENTALS TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND TO THOSE VISITING AUSTIN FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE AND WORK IN CREATING SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, A ISD AND OTHER SCHOOLS AROUND THE AREA. AND ALSO, WE CONTINUE TO OFFER AFFORDABLE PROGRAMMING FOR OUR YOUTH. WATER SAFETY AND DROWNING PREVENTION IS AT OUR CORE. WE BELIEVE IN CREATING A SAFE SPACE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL, ECOLOGICAL, AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT PROVIDED AS THE NEXT LAYER IN ALL PROGRAMS. WE BELIEVE IN EDUCATION, RECREATION, AND SAFE UNIVERSAL ACCESS FOR ALL. NEXT SLIDE. FOR 2025, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO LEAD IN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND LOCAL STATE, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL SAFETY STANDARDS AND DROWNING PREVENTION AND WATER SAFETY AND CLIMATE MEDICINE. IN FACT, UH, WE WERE THERE, UM, JUST AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY FLOOD THAT IMPACTED, UM, HER AND COUNTIES. WE ARE ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES AND OTHER CAMPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY TO GO FOR THE 2020 SIXTH YEAR WITH THE NEW STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET FROM HOUSE BILL ONE AND SENATE BILL ONE, UH, THAT WERE PASSED SEPTEMBER 5TH TO HELP CREATE SAFE CAMP EXPERIENCES FOR ALL KIDS IN TEXAS. AGAIN, NO PADDLE ALERT DX SCHOOL GOES WITHOUT WEARING INAPPROPRIATELY FITTED US COAST GUARD APPROVED LIFE JACKET. AND WE ALWAYS OFFER BASIC PADDLING INSTRUCTION, INCLUDING WATER SAFETY, BASIC PADDLING ESSENTIALS, WEATHER CONDITIONS, WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS, GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY OF THE AREA, ET CETERA. UH, NEXT SLIDE. UH, THIS IS A SHOT OF OUR, ONE OF OUR ADAPTIVE GROUPS. THIS IS OUR HALLOWEEN PADDLE LAST WEEK. AND YOU CAN SEE WE OPERATE OUT OF THREE SHIPPING CONTAINERS. OUR LOCATION IS RIGHT ON THE EAST SIDE AT OF FESTIVAL BEACH BOAT RAMP. AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE ADAPTIVE PADDLE THAT THEY'RE HOLDING UP FOR JAKE, WHO'S HOLDING UP A WITCHES BROOM, . AND, UM, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS BUILD AN A DA DOCK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND, UM, CREATING A, A SAFER SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE RIGHT NOW. WE PUT IN AND TAKE OUT AT A CEMENT BOAT RAMP THAT WE FEEL IS UNSAFE. IN FACT, UM, ROSIE THE ONE IN THE, THE FLOWERED SHIRT THERE LAST THURSDAY AND UNFORTUNATELY FLIPPED AND HER HEAD. AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO BUILD THIS A DA DOCK SO WE CAN SAFELY PUT FOLKS ON THE WATER IN A MUCH MORE AGREEABLE MANNER. AND, UM, [00:10:01] THE PLANS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED AND WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO SEE THIS THROUGH. UH, FURTHERMORE, THIS LAST WEEK WAS REALLY SPECIAL BECAUSE BEHIND OUR SHIPPING CONTAINERS WHERE THE DOCK WOULD BE BUILT HAS BEEN A GROWING UNHOUSED POPULATION. AND THIS HAS BECOME AN INCREDIBLE CONCERN FOR US BECAUSE WE'LL WALK IN TO WORK WITH HUMAN EXCREMENTS AND ALSO A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE COMING AND GOING. WE HAVE PEOPLE BATHING THERE AT THE BOAT RAMP, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH NUDITY, ET CETERA. AND WE, UM, HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN PARK RANGERS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, WITH OTHER PROGRAMS TO HELP RELOCATE THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN LOCATED BEHIND US. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PADDLE IN THAT AREA AND FEEL COMPLETELY SAFE. AND I JUST WANTED TO HONOR THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARK RANGERS, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UM, UH, SO THANK YOU. THAT IS YOUR TIME. IF YOU CAN JUST WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHTS, PLEASE. SURE. UM, I BELIEVE I HAVE THREE MORE MINUTES THAT WERE DONATED TO ME, SO THAT WAS ALREADY SIX MINUTES. OKAY, FANTASTIC. GREAT. , ALL THAT SAID, UM, WE CONTINUE TO, TO MAKE A, UM, A A COMMITMENT, A COMMITTED DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT PERSONALLY ON, ON WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED THUS FAR IN 2025. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. SO I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2025. SO MOVED. EXCUSE ME FOR ONE, ONE MOMENT. UH, COULD WE GET A COPY OF THOSE SLIDES THAT BOTH OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS YES. I'M USING READY TO SEND THEM OUT RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE A CHAMPION. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. SECONDED BY BRIMER. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES. ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? ANY OBJECTIONS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, THAT MOTION PASSES. SO WE'RE GONNA SWITCH AROUND THE SCHEDULE A LITTLE BIT. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO TO [3. Staff briefing regarding the 2025 Texas Legislative Session. Presentation by Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Watershed Protection. ] STAFF BRIEFINGS. SO WE'LL START WITH NUMBER THREE, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE 2025 TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION PRESENTATION BY KAYLA CHAMPLIN, ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR, AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION. THIS FEELS LIKE THIS IS LIKE RIGHT UP IN MY FACE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M KAYLA CHAMPLIN. I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH THE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AND THAT IS NOT MY PRESENTATION. HERE WE GO. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALRIGHT, SO TODAY WE ARE GONNA FOCUS ON, UH, LEGISLATIVE OVERVIEW FOR THE 89TH REGULAR SPECIAL SESSION. THE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION, SORRY, DID I SAY REGULAR SESSION AND THEN SPECIAL SESSION FIRST, SPECIAL SESSION, AND SECOND SPECIAL SESSION. AND, UM, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE MAJOR TOPIC AREAS THAT WATERSHED REVIEWED THIS SESSION. SO WE'RE NOT, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE LIKE A COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATIVE REVIEW. THIS, THESE ARE, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE BILLS THAT WERE, UH, OF CONCERN FOR US AND WHAT THOSE OUTCOMES WERE. UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OH, I DO. SWEET. ALRIGHT. WELL, OKAY. SO BEFORE WE DIVE IN, UM, JUST SOME STATS FOR YOU. UM, OVERALL, DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, OVER 9,000 TOTAL BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS WERE FILED. 1,271 BILLS WERE SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR OR ALLOWED TO BECOME LAW. AND, UM, OF, OF THAT, THOSE NUMBERS, 1,499 BILLS WERE MONITORED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN OVERALL. AND THEN IN OUR DEPARTMENT, WE MONITORED 247 BILLS OF CONCERN. SOME OF THOSE BILLS HAD IMPACTS AND SOME DIDN'T, BUT WE TRACKED THEM ANYWAY BECAUSE LEGISLATION CAN CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CYCLE OF THE BILL THROUGH. UM, SO OF THOSE 247 30 BILLS WERE SIGNED OR ALLOWED TO BECOME LAW WITHOUT THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE. BUT NOT ALL OF THOSE THIRTIES, UH, BILLS ACTUALLY HAD IMPACTS ON OUR DEPARTMENT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, NEUTRAL ON THEM, BUT WE ARE, AGAIN, WE WERE JUST TRACKING THEM. BUT, UM, THAT WAS KIND OF THE, THE TOTAL OUTCOME FOR OUR DEPARTMENT BY THE NUMBERS. THANK YOU. SO THERE WERE ABOUT FIVE, [00:15:01] UH, REVIEW AREAS THAT WERE, UH, THE FOCUS FOR US THIS SESSION. THE FIRST WAS LEGISLATION RELATED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, OR DEI, UH, LEGISLATION RELATED TO LAND USE PRIMARILY FOR DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR HOUSING, UH, DEVELOPMENT IN OUR EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR ETJ, UH, DIS ANNEXATION LEGISLATION AND LEGISLATION RELATED RELATED TO CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEES. SO IN THE FIRST TOPIC AREA, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION. SO THESE ARE BILLS AIMED AT DISMANTLING DEI PROGRAMS, POLICIES, GOVERNMENTAL POSITIONS, OFFICES, AND HIRING PRACTICES FOR GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. SO THERE WERE ABOUT FIVE BILLS THAT WE, WE WATCHED VERY CLOSELY. ALL FIVE OF THEM FAILED TO PASS. I DIDN'T INCLUDE, UM, THE SPECIFICS ON THESE BILLS ON THE SLIDE JUST BECAUSE THEY ALL KIND OF HAD THE SAME, UM, COMMON PURPOSE OF RESTRICTING MUNICIPALITIES, UH, OR, OR JUST GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES GENERALLY SPEAKING FROM CREATING AND MAINTAINING THESE PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND AND SO FORTH. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO IN, UH, THE LAND USE CATEGORY, THERE WERE TWO BILLS THAT WE WERE TRACKING CLOSELY. THE FIRST, UH, THAT DID PASS THE FIRST IS SENATE BILL 15, WHICH REQUIRES A CITY TO, TO ALLOW 3000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS ON UNPLANNED LAND OF FIVE ACRES OR MORE. SO, UM, WHEN THIS BILL WAS FIRST FILED, WE DID HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT IT, BUT AS IT GOT AMENDED THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, THE BILL, UH, WAS, OUR CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED. OUR MAIN CONCERNS WERE ABOUT THE IMPACT ON FLOODING AND SETBACKS RELATED TO CREEKS EROSION AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURE SETBACKS. UM, WE DO STILL HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE BILL LANGUAGE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW MORE THAN 30% OPEN SPACE OR PERMEABLE PERMEABLE SURFACE. SO THAT MEANS FOR, FOR THESE AREAS, THIS WOULD ALLOW SEVEN UP TO 70% IMPERVIOUS COVER. BUT THE AREA THAT IT, UH, APPLIES TO IN AUSTIN IS ACTUALLY QUITE SMALL, SO WE HAVE LESS CONCERNS ABOUT IT. UM, THIS BILL ALSO ADDED A ZONING CATEGORY SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS ZONING TYPE, WHICH GIVES THE CITY MORE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH THE ZONES IN THE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE. AND THEN SENATE BILL EIGHT 40 SO THAT THIS BILL ALLOWS RESIDENTIAL BY RIGHT IN NON-RESIDENTIAL BASED ZONES. WE WERE ACTUALLY, OUR DEPARTMENT WAS NEUTRAL ON THIS BILL, UM, BECAUSE THE BILL DID INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT ALLOW US TO ENFORCE OUR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION REGULATIONS, UH, IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS. SO, UM, AGAIN, WE WERE NEUTRAL ON THIS ONE. UM, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT WE TRACKED THAT FAILED TO PASS THIS SESSION. HB 23 AND SB 2354 ARE RELATED TO ALLOWING THIRD PARTY PARTY, UGH, SORRY, DEVELOPERS TO BYPASS THE CITY REVIEW PROCESS BY HIRING A LICENSED THIRD PARTY PROFESSIONAL TO REVIEW AND APPROVE DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS AND CONDUCT INSPECTIONS. SO, UM, THIS BILL WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITED OUR CONTROL APPROVALS OF REVIEWS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO OUR MISSION, SUCH AS FLOODPLAIN DRAINAGE, WATER QUALITY REVIEW, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. EVEN IF WE BELIEVED, BELIEVED THAT THE REVIEWS WERE, UM, IN WERE INCORRECT OR INCOMPLETE, WE WOULDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT. SO, UH, THE, THESE BILLS DID FAIL TO PASS, BUT WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT TO SEE IF THEY GET REFILED AGAIN. NEXT SESSION. HB 37 98 AND H AND SB 1923 APOLOGIZE, IT'S HARD TO READ ALL THESE NUMBERS. UM, SO THIS IS THE ASH JUNIPER BILL YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF. SO THIS ONE WOULD, UH, WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED CITIES FROM RESTRICTING OR IMPOSING MITIGATION FEES ON THE REMOVAL OF ASH JUNIPER TREES FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU SEE TWO BILLS NEXT, I SHOULD, I FAILED TO MENTION THIS, THAT'S THE SENATE, THE HOUSE BILL AND THE SENATE BILL. SO WE, WE CALL THESE COMPANION BILLS. THEY COULD BE DIFFERENT OR THEY COULD BE IDENTICAL. IT KIND OF DEPENDS. THEY TEND TO GET MEDED THROUGH THEIR PROCESS, BUT IT JUST INCREASES THE CHANCE OF, UM, THAT LEGISLATION PASSING WHEN THEY'RE FILED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SO, UM, AGAIN, SO THIS BILL, THE ASH JUNI BILL FAILED TO PASS THIS SESSION. UM, IT WAS REFILED FROM THE PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, SO WE MAY SEE THAT COME AROUND AGAIN NEXT SESSION. SB 6 73 WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM REGULATING ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS THEY ENDED UP, UM, ADDING LANGUAGE IN SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ENFORCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL WATER QUALITY DRAINAGE, FLOODPLAIN [00:20:01] AND EROSION REGULATIONS. SO WE ENDED UP BEING NEUTRAL ON THIS BILL. BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THIS ONE FAILED TO PASS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALRIGHT, SO, UM, I I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A PRETTY, A FAIRLY, UH, BIG TOPIC AT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT IN THE 88TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN 2023, UH, STATE LAWMAKERS PASSED SENATE BILL 2038, GRANTING PROPERTY OWNERS THE AUTHORITY TO FILE A PETITION OR REQUEST AN ELECTION TO RELEASE FROM A CITY'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR ETJ. AND THAT BILL ALLOWS PROPERTIES TO BE REMOVED ON A LOT BY LOT BASIS, WHICH REALLY HINDERS OUR ABILITY TO, UH, FOR REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS AND FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE GROWTH. SO, UM, THIS SESSION WE SAW A LOT OF LEGISLATION THAT WAS FILED AIMED AT TRYING TO, TO FIX THAT BILL OR, OR MAKE SOME CHANGES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT MUNICIPALITIES HAD ABOUT IT. UM, SO THE, THE BILL THAT DID PASS WAS HB 25 12. THIS BILL LIMITS THE AREAS THAT CAN BE RELEASED FROM THE ETJ OF, OF CERTAIN TEXAS CITIES. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S BRACKETED TO APPLY TO A PARTICULAR, UM, POPULATION. AND THAT REALLY ONLY APPLIES TO AN AREA NEAR FORT WORTH. AND, UM, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN THAT BILL INCLUDED THE ABILITY TO, UM, ENFORCE IN NETJ IF THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T MEET THE CONDITIONS OF THAT, OF WHAT THE BILL WAS BRACKETED, THAT WON'T APPLY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, BUT THE BILL DID MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THAT IT LIMITS ELECTION PETITIONS, UH, TO PROPERTY OWNERS WHO RESIDE IN AN AREA THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE RELEASED AND ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS TO OPT OUT FROM BEING RELEASED. SO, UM, IF, IF A BIG SWATH OF LAND OR BIG AREA IS GETTING RELEASED FROM THE ET OR IS PETITIONING TO BE RELEASED FROM AN ETJ AND THERE'S PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THAT AREA THAT DO NOT WANNA BE PART OF THE RELEASE, THEY CAN, THEY CAN OPT OUT. LEMME SEE IF I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE. OKAY. AND SB 1844. SO THIS BILL ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS TO DESEX FROM THE CITY IF THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO A NAVIGABLE WATERWAY IF THE PROPERTY WAS NOT ANNEXED BETWEEN 2017 AND 2019. AND IF MOST OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE AREA DO NOT RECEIVE WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE FROM THE CITY. UM, SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THE MOST LIKELY CANDIDATES THAT WILL PETITION TO DESSAN X ARE, ARE ALONG LAKE AUSTIN. AND, UM, THIS, THE BILL DOES INCLUDE THAT INUNDATED LAND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE DESSAN ANNEXED. SO THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENFORCE OUR BOAT DOCK REGULATIONS IN THIS AREA. UM, HOWEVER, SHORELINE ACCESS AND IMPERVIOUS COVER REGULATIONS ARE NOT ENFORCEABLE ONCE A PROPERTY IS DISAS ANNEXED. AND THE OTHER IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR DEPARTMENT IS THAT IT WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF THE DRAINAGE CHARGED REVENUE FOR ANNEX PARCELS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER BILLS THAT WERE FILED THE SESSION THAT FAILED TO PASS THAT WOULD'VE HAD A LOT LARGER IMPACTS ON, UM, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN HB NINE 50. THIS BILL WOULD'VE ALLOWED LANDOWNERS WITH ANNEX PROPERTY, UM, TO SEEK THIS ANNEXATION. IF A CITY WASN'T PROVIDING FULL MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO LAND THAT WAS ANNEXED FOR FULL PURPOSE. UH, SB 1509 WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED CITIES FROM ADOPTING OR ENFORCING REGULATIONS WITHIN THEIR ETJ. IT'S A PRETTY BIG ONE. AND SB 25 22 WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED CITIES FROM REGULATING LAND USE ZONING OR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, BOTH IN THE ETJ AND IN THE LIMITED PURPOSE, UH, JURISDICTION AREA. UH, SO, SO THESE BILLS FAILED TO PASS. UH, NEXT SESSION, PLEASE. I MEAN, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SORRY, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, GUYS. . UH, OKAY. SO, UH, CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE. SO THERE WAS A, UH, HB 43 13 AND SB 2235. SO THESE WERE BOTH IDENTICAL COMPANION BILLS. THESE BILL, THE, THESE BILLS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FEES THAT PAY FOR CLIMATE AND OR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS THAT ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE POLLUTANTS FROM REACHING THE ENVIRONMENT. SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR DEPARTMENT FUNDS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND CIP PROJECTS THROUGH OUR DRAINAGE UTILITY FUND THAT ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE POLLUTANTS FROM REACHING THE ENVIRONMENT. UM, THERE IS, UM, LANGUAGE IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE [00:25:01] THAT DOES EXPLICITLY ALLOW US TO DO THAT. SO, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE BILL AUTHOR TO GET THE LANGUAGE IN THE DRAFT BILL AMENDED. UM, HOWEVER, THIS, THIS LEGISLATION DID NOT END UP PASSING. UM, WE DID SEE IT REFILED AGAIN IN THE SPECIAL SESSION. UM, HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT AN ITEM ON THE GOVERNOR'S AGENDA, SO, UM, IT FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. SO WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE OUT TO SEE IF THIS ONE GETS REFILED AGAIN. NEXT SESSION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, MOST OF THE BILLS THAT WE WERE, UH, TRACKING THAT PASSED THIS SESSION WENT INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR. WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH, UH, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH THESE LAWS. AND, UM, SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE A A LOT OF THAT WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN WRAPPED UP. SOME OF THEM ARE KIND, WE'RE STILL SEEING HOW THINGS ARE UNFOLDING, UM, AS PROPERTIES MAY COME IN AND REQUEST DIS ANNEXATION. SO, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FIRST AND SECOND SPECIAL SESSIONS. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO THE FIRST SPECIAL SESSION BEGAN ON JULY 21ST. UM, I'M JUST HIGHLIGHTING AGAIN, UH, THE AREAS THAT WE FOCUSED ON THE SESSION FLOOD AND DISASTER RESPONSE ISSUES IN RESPONSE TO THE JULY 4TH FLOODING IN THE HILL COUNTRY WATER PROJECT INCENTIVES AND FUNDING AND PROPERTY TAX CUTS. UM, THE SECOND, SO THERE WERE ABOUT 18 JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION. THE, THE GOVERNOR HAD ABOUT 18 DIFFERENT A, UH, AGENDA ITEMS ON THE HIS PROCLAMATION FOR THE FIRST SESSION, THE SECOND SPECIAL SE SECOND SPECIAL SESSION. THERE WERE A FEW MORE THAT WERE ADDED ON, BUT THE AGENDA WAS MOSTLY THE SAME. UM, AND THEN THAT SESSION, THE SECOND SESSION, THEY WERE ABLE TO PASS THE LEGISLATION THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE FIRST SESSION AND IT ADJOURNED ON SEPTEMBER 3RD. NEXT SLIDE. ALRIGHT, SO, UM, HERE'S SOME OF THE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED THE SESSION THAT WE WERE WATCHING. SB ONE, UM, I BELIEVE THIS ONE WAS MENTIONED IN, UM, THE CITIZEN, UH, COMMUNICATION. BUT THIS BILL MANDATES STRINGENT NEW SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR YOUTH CAMPS AND CAMPGROUNDS IN THE WAKE OF THE HILL COUNTRY FLOODING STRATEGY ON JULY 4TH. SO THE KEY PROVISIONS OF THE BILL INCLUDE A PROHIBITION OF LICENSING OR RENEWING LICENSING FOR YOUTH CAMPS WITH CABINS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE FLOODPLAIN, COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS, EVACUATION DRILLS, WEATHER ALERT SYSTEMS THAT ARE INDEPENDENT OF INTERNET ACCESS AND EVACUATION MUSTER ZONES. SO, UM, THIS BILL DIDN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT WE DID PROVIDE, UM, SOME, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE LEGISLATION, UH, BEFORE THE SESSION WHEN IT WAS BEING DRAFTED. SB THREE. THIS BILL REQUIRES INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND REGULAR TESTING OF OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS IN FLASH FLOOD PRONE AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. AND IT ALSO ESTABLISHES A GRANT PROGRAM THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OFFICE TO ASSIST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH COSTS THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH INSTALLING THESE, UH, WARNING SIRENS. SO, UM, I'LL JUST ADD THAT THE BILL DOES GIVE THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD DISCRETION TO CREATE RULES FOR WHEN SIRENS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR CITIES AND COUNTIES. AND THEY HAVE QUITE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY ON HOW THEY DEFINE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. FOR, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. WE FEEL THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF LOCATIONS IN AUSTIN WHERE, UM, SIRENS AREN'T THE BEST WARNING METHOD. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THIS RULES MAKING PROCESS FOR US TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS AND, UM, TALK ABOUT WHICH SI SITUATIONS WHERE, WHERE SIRENS WILL OR WILL NOT BE MOST EFFECTIVE IN AUSTIN. AND THEN WE'VE GOT SENATE BILL FIVE. SO SENATE BILL FIVE CREATES SUPPLEMENTAL DISASTER APPROPRIATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF AND PREPAREDNESS WITHIN TEXAS. SO THIS BILL ALLOCATES SIGNIFICANT FUNDS PRIMARILY FROM THE ECONOMIC STABILIZATION FUND, AIMED AT ENHANCING THE STATE'S RESPONSE CAPABILITIES TO DISASTERS, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT FLOODING EVENTS. SO A TOTAL OF 200 MILLION MILLION IS DESIGNATED TO MATCH FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSE FUNDS, WHILE AN ADDITIONAL 50 MILLION IS EARMARKED FOR LOCAL GRANTS TO ASSIST AFFECTED MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES FROM ESTABLISHING FOR, IN ESTABLISHING, UM, FLOOD WARNING SYSTEMS. AND IT ALSO SETS ASIDE AN ADDITIONAL 28 MILLION SPECIFICALLY FOR IMPROVING METEOROLOGICAL [00:30:02] FORECASTING SYSTEMS TO BETTER MANAGE FLOOD RISKS AND ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, THE NOVEMBER CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. IF YOU VOTED, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN PROPOSITION FOUR. SO, UM, DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, SB SEVEN WAS THE ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR THIS PROPOSITION. IT'S A MAJOR STATEWIDE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING BILL AND IT DEDICATES $1 BILLION PER YEAR OF STATE SALES TAX REVENUE TO THE TEXAS WATER FUND TO PAY FOR WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE, REHABILITATION, AND FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECTS. UM, SO THIS IS NOT NEW TAXES OR FEES, THE REVENUES COME FROM THE EXISTING STATE SALES TAX. AND, UH, THE OTHER THING TO NOTE IS THAT IT DOESN'T PRIORITIZE SPECIFIC PROJECTS. SO FOR ANY PROJECT THAT IS TRYING TO ACCESS THIS FUNDING, THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE REGULAR APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE IN ORDER TO ACCESS, UM, FUNDS FROM THE TEXAS WATER FUND. AND, UM, THE LEGISLATION ALSO ENHANCES LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT AND PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THE USE OF THIS NEW REVENUE STREAM FOR WATER PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. AND, UM, LET ME SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT I NEEDED TO MENTION. SO, SO THESE ARE GONNA BE PROJECTS LIKE FUNDING REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT OF AGING AND LEAKING PIPES, UM, IMPROVING SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF OUR WATER SYSTEMS AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WATER TRANSPORTATION ACROSS THE STATE. AND THIS BILL, UH, UH, I MEAN SINCE THIS, UH, PROPOSITION PASSED, IT WILL TAKE EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2027. I, NEXT SLIDE. I THINK THAT'S IT. SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND I JUST WANNA NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER FIERRO ALSO JOINING US ON THE DAIS AND WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER CHANG, SET YOU'RE UP. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS OF RIGHT NOW. THANKS COMMISSIONER FLURY. YEAH, THANK YOU. NO QUESTIONS ON MY END COMMISSIONER MORETTO OR DIRE? THANK YOU. I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTION EITHER. THANKS COMMISSIONER FIERRO. NO QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. WELL IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT ONLY A FRACTION OF BILLS THAT GET FILED ACTUALLY PASS. DO YOU THINK THAT ANY OF THE ONES THAT WERE, WERE THERE ANY CLOSE CALLS THAT DIDN'T PASS? THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CLOSE CALLS . SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO WATCH IN TWO YEARS? YES. UH, SOME OF THE ONES THAT I MENTIONED, UM, THAT WERE ANTICIPATING COULD GET REFILED INCLUDE THE CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL FEE BILL, UM, BECAUSE WE DID SEE THAT, UM, LAWMAKERS REFILED THAT DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION AND EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T GET TAKEN UP AS AN AGENDA ITEM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS A PRIORITY. MM-HMM . UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEE SOME DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE LAND USE BILLS THAT WERE FILED AND, UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE, LIKE THE, THE A DU BILL, THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT BILL, I THINK THAT ONE GOT PRETTY CLOSE TO PASSING, BUT THERE WAS SOME DISCREPANCY ABOUT, UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE SUBSTITUTE BILLS AND IT DIDN'T PASS. UM, THAT ONE COULD COME BACK. UM, AND THEN WE COULD SEE SOME MORE LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE ETJ AND DIS ANNEXATION. UM, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SEEING HOW THESE THINGS ARE ROLLING OUT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, UM, AND, AND HOW MUCH COMMUNITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN ADDRESSING CONCERNS COMMUNITIES HAVE. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . COMMISSIONER BRIMER, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. APPRECIATE IT. THERE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, SENATE BILL EIGHT 40, UH, GOES AROUND A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, TALKS ABOUT, UH, BASE ZONING. DOES THAT, UH, HOW ARE PUDS IMPACTED BY THAT? BECAUSE FREQUENTLY, AND I MAY, MY MEMORY MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OFF HERE, SO IF SOMEONE, IF I'M INCORRECT HERE, SOMEONE STEP IN, BUT WHEN PUDS COME BEFORE US, UH, THE APPLICANT FREQUENTLY REQUESTS A CHANGE IN THE BASE ZONING. SO WOULD THAT MEAN THAT WHEN THEY CHANGE THE BASE ZONING SOMETHING THEIR, THEY CAN CONCEIVABLY THEN CHANGE OR USE IT FOR, UH, RESIDENTIAL AT SOME LATER DATE? YOU KNOW, I, I, UH, WOULD HAVE TO ASK OUR LAW DEPARTMENT AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, TO CLARIFY THAT AND GET BACK WITH YOU. I DON'T, UH, HAVE [00:35:01] THE ANSWER. OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. I, I'D SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO YOU FOLKS EARLIER AND THE ANSWER WAS NO, BUT I HAD GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE GET A CLARIFICATION THAT FROM, FROM LEGAL, UH, THEN ALSO THIS SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT ANY PLACE IN THE CITY THAT IS ZONED FOR ANYTHING THAT ISN'T RESIDENTIAL COULD POP UP TO BE RESIDENTIAL IS, AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY? I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. THIS WASN'T ONE THAT WE, WE LOOKED AT VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T AFFECT, AFFECT OUR DEPARTMENT. BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU. WELL, IT SAID, YEAH, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THIS NON-RESIDENTIAL BASED ZONES, SO THAT MEANS ANYTHING THAT'S NOT RESIDENTIAL. SO IF IT'S ZONE FOR INDUSTRIAL, THAT'S A NON-RESIDENTIAL BASED ZONING, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY. SO THEN SOMEONE COULD THEN CONVERT THAT TO RESIDENTIAL. I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE WAY I READ THE LANGUAGE. I I, I DON'T HAVE THE BILL RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW, BUT I WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK THAT IT WAS RELATED TO COMMERCIAL, NOT INDUSTRIAL, BUT I CAN CLARIFY. I CAN CHECK IN AND LET YOU KNOW. OKAY. I ASK. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THIS STUFF SHOWS UP BEFORE US AND SOME OF THE NUANCES BECOME IMPORTANT AND WE WANT TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, INTERPRETING THIS CORRECTLY WITHIN STATE LAW. SO WE DON'T CREATE A MISTAKE THAT SOMEONE HAS TO LIVE WITH IN COURT. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ABOUT IT. AND I, AND I CAN JUST ADD TO THE WHY THAT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE IN SOME FORMS OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT YOU HAVE 85% IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHEREAS MULTIFAMILY IS ONLY 65% IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO SOMEBODY COULD CONVERT A COMMERCIAL, UH, MALL INTO APARTMENTS. THEY WOULD HAVE A, A LOT MORE LAND TO DEVELOP, BUT THEY WOULD YEAH, I CAN, UH, LIZ JOHNSTON, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, I CAN AT LEAST RESPOND TO THAT. UM, SO OUR WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, AFFECTED ZONING ONLY, NOT WATERSHED REGULATION. SO THEY STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH OUR IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS FOR, FOR THAT. SO IF YOU HAD A, A MALL WITH GR ZONING OR CS ZONING, WHICH ARE TWO COMMERCIAL ZONES THAT ALLOW HIGHER IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THEY WANTED TO CONVERT TO APARTMENTS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REDUCE THEIR IMPERVIOUS COVER. I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I WOULD READ IT. OKAY. WELL THAT'S A QUESTION THEN TO SEE BECAUSE THAT'S A WAY TO CHEAT THE SYSTEM. CORRECT. AND, AND SO THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE A CHANGE OF USE AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND THERE WOULD NEED TO BE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T JUST MOVE INTO A MALL WITHOUT SOME SORT OF PERMIT THERE. RIGHT. YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED MORE WASTEWATER, YOU NEED ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU NEED. UM, AND SO AT THAT POINT WE WOULD LOOK AT IT AND UM, SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOUR IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT IS TOO HIGH. OKAY. RIGHT. BUT YOU, YOU GET THE DRIFT OF WHERE HE IS GOING. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE MIGHT ASK THAT HAVE TO DO, DO WITH THE DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPMENT. AND SO WE WANT TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OR WE CAN'T ASK THESE QUESTIONS 'CAUSE THEY'RE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW OR I DUNNO, WHATEVER THE DEAL IS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M ASKING. YEAH. WE CAN GET SOME CLARITY. OKAY. YEAH. IF YOU WOULD FIND OUT AND, UH, SEND US AN EMAIL OR MAKE A PRESENTATION OR WHAT, WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE FORM OF COMMUNICATION IS, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. AND THAT WAS, THANK YOU. I WAS GONNA SAY TOO, DID I REMEMBER US HAVING LIKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACES RIGHT. WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE WAS A A YEAH, THERE WAS A THING THAT CAME UP FOR MM-HMM . SOMEONE WANTED TO TURN A STRIP MALL INTO A, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. YEAH, I REMEMBER. I REMEMBER. 'CAUSE YOU WERE LIKE, OH YEAH, WE'RE GONNA PUT HOUSING FROM STRIP CLUBS. THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA. AND I'M LIKE, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ? I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW, BUT YES, SURE. EXACTLY. HEY MAN, YOU KNOW, SEX WORKERS NEED HOUSING TOO, RIGHT? UM, IT'S MY TURN YET. AM I JUST, AM I JUST TALKING NOW? YEAH, PLEASE GO AHEAD. SECRETARY KEI. YEAH. UM, YEAH, KAYLA, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. UH, I'M GONNA CONTINUE JUMPING OFF THE TURNBUCKLE HERE. UH, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIENTIOUS AUSTIN RESIDENT, HOW DEPRESSED SHOULD WE BE AFTER THESE, UH, [00:40:01] SPECIAL SESSIONS? AFTER THE SPECIAL SESSIONS OR AFTER THE REGULAR SESSIONS OR BOTH? ALL OF THEM. UH, THEY'RE ALL SPECIAL TO ME. YOU KNOW, . UM, WELL I THINK AS FAR AS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IN WATERSHED, WE GOT THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF, UM, MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS ON OUR POLICIES AND PROGRAMMING. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT COMES BACK NEXT REGULAR SESSION. BUT, AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE THING IS THAT WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP THESE IN MIND THAT THEY COULD COME BACK IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER OUT OF, IN A FUTURE SESSION. WELL, I GUESS THE BRIGHT SIDE IS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEING LAID ON FIRE, WHATEVER HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL CAN'T BE TOO BAD ANYMORE. RIGHT. SO THERE YOU GO. APPRECIATE IT. MM-HMM . THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UM, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT HB 20 25, 12. I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BETTER. SO, LIMITS AREAS THAT CAN BE RELEASED FROM THE ETJ OF CERTAIN TEXAS CITIES BRACKETED TO ONLY APPLY FOR FORT WORTH. UM, AND ELECTION PETITIONS ARE LIMITED TO THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO RESIDE IN THAT AREA. HOW IS IT CURRENTLY FUNCTIONING, IF NOT LIKE THAT ? SO RIGHT NOW A PETITION CAN COME IN AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S JUST SOME, SOME LACK OF CLARITY IN THE CURRENT LEGISLATION ABOUT THE RELEASE. IF, IF THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT DON'T WANT TO BE RELEASED AND THAT THEY COULD GET RELEASED IN A PETITION, UH, FOR A AREA OF LAND. SO THIS LEGISLATION WOULD HELP CLARIFY THAT? IT HELPED CLARIFY IT, BUT NOT FOR US. CORRECT. RIGHT. THAT, THAT PART WOULD BE FOR US AS WELL. BUT THE PART THAT DOESN'T IMPACT US IS THERE, THERE IS A PROVISION ABOUT, UM, DE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND THAT WOULD NOT, UM, AFFECT THE CITY OF BOSTON. OKAY. THAT'S THE PORTION THAT WAS BRACKETED, I BELIEVE. SO RIGHT NOW, PRIOR TO THIS BILL, WHEN AREAS OF LAND WERE RELEASED FROM THE ETJ, WHO, WHO SIGNS, WHO FILES THAT PETITION, IF NOT THE RESIDENCE THERE. SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF, AT LEAST ONE INSTANCE WHERE, UM, A LANDOWNER FILED ON BEHALF OF AN AREA AND INCLUDED LAND THAT WAS NOT HIS. UM, BECAUSE THE, THE LANGUAGE OF THE, THE, THE BILL WAS SO VAGUE THAT IT SAID, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IN A WHO OWNS MORE THAN 50% OF AN AREA BASICALLY. AND SO PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DESSAN X WERE INCLUDED IN THAT. AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, IN THAT CASE I THINK THERE WAS A VOTE AND I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY ALL THAT WHAT HAPPENED. AND SO THAT WAS, UH, MAYBE AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE THAT THEY DIDN'T, UM, THAT THEY WANTED TO FIX. INTERESTING. SO DO YOU KNOW WHO ADMINISTERS THESE ELECTION PETITIONS? CITY CLERK'S OFFICE. OKAY. INTERESTING. OKAY. AND SO NOW INSTEAD OF IT BEING 51% OF THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE TOTAL LAND AREA, IT'S 51% OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AN AREA? I DON'T HAVE THE BILL LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT OKAY. HAPPY TO CHAT MORE WITH YOU ABOUT IT AFTER. OKAY. SOUNDS ON THE WHOLE POSITIVE THOUGH. I'M HEARING A MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE. YEAH, I MEAN, MO IT'S, IT ADDS SOME CLARITY FOR CERTAIN CITIES. IT DOESN'T HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT IT DOES HAVE THAT ONE IMPACT IN THAT. OKAY. LANDOWNERS CAN, UM, OPT OUT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF. AND SO WHY DOES IT NOT HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON US? IS IS IT BECAUSE MOST OF OUR ETJ IS ALREADY DEVELOPED OR? WELL, IT'S, IT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE, UM, AREAS ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, OUR MAIN CONCERN, THE PART OF THE BILL THAT IS ADDRESSED IS RELATED. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BENEFIT TO US IS THE PART RELATING TO, UM, NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO, UM, THAT HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH, WITH A MUNICIPALITY TO DIS TO, UH, BE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ AND THAT PORTION OF THE BILL IS BRACKETED TO THAT FORT WORTH AREA. AND SO THAT WAS PROBABLY THE, THE PART THAT WE WERE HOPING TO SEE HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WOULD HELP ADD SOME CLARITY FOR US. AND, UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS BRACKETED, SO YEAH. AND WAS THAT LOBBYING ON BEHALF OF A FORT WORTH REPRESENTATIVE, OR HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS LOBBIED BY, UM, SOME OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THAT AREA. OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THAT IS ALL I HAVE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP FOR FOLKS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE ON TO [2. Presentation, discussion, and action regarding Artificial Turf water quality considerations. Presentation by Liz Johnston, Environmental Officer, Austin Watershed Protection.] DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND ACTION REGARDING ARTIFICIAL TURF WATER QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS, UH, BY LIZ JOHNSTON, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER. GOOD EVENING ALL. [00:45:01] UM, SO THIS WAS A PRESENTATION, UM, REQUESTED BY I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. UM, SO ARTIFICIAL TURF. UM, I'M HERE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WATER QUALITY CONSIDERATIONS SINCE THAT IS OUR PURVIEW. UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALSO HEALTH CONCERNS WHEN IT COMES TO ARTIFICIAL TURF. UM, LET'S SEE. HERE WE GO. SO IN THIS PRESENTATION I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, LET ME GO BACK. THERE WE GO. UH, BASICALLY JUST AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT ARTIFICIAL TURF IS, HOW IT'S INSTALLED, WHAT'S, UH, THE MATERIAL IS MADE OUT OF, AND MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS. I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPERVIOUS COVER VERSUS PERVIOUS COVER AND WHY WE CARE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT, UM, AND HOW ARTIFICIAL TURF IS RELATED TO THAT. UM, WATER QUALITY SLASH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS, POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, LIKE HOW DO WE REGULATE IT, UM, WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES ARE DOING. AND THEN SOME POTENTIAL STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. I WILL SAY THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WHAT COULD BE A LONGER STAKEHOLDER, UM, UH, PROCESS IF, IF THAT IS SOMETHING YOU ALL RECOMMEND. ALRIGHT, SO ARTIFICIAL TURF, OBVIOUSLY SYNTHETIC FIBERS DESIGNED TO LOOK ALIKE GRASS. UM, IT OFTEN USED IN ARTIFICIAL, OR SORRY, IN ART, UH, ATHLETIC FIELDS. UM, WE'VE BEEN SEEING THEM A LOT ON PLAYGROUNDS, PARKS, UM, COM COMMERCIAL USES. THERE'S A LOT OF BEER GARDENS USING THEM OUT THERE, MORE AND MORE RESIDENTIAL. UM, IT'S OFTEN PITCHED AS A WAY TO HANDLE, UM, AREAS WITH HEAVY DOG USE. THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS, UM, FOR, UH, USING ARTIFICIAL TURF. UH, THE BIG ONE THAT PEOPLE THINK THE MOST ABOUT IS THAT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE IRRIGATION, FERTILIZE FERTILIZERS OR HERBICIDES. SO THERE'S FEWER POLLUTANTS FROM THAT. LESS, YOU KNOW, UM, POTABLE WATER USE. UM, IF YOU HAVE AN ATHLETIC FIELD AND IT RAINS, THEN, UM, A PERIOD OF TIME WHILE THAT ATHLETIC FIELD DRIES OUT, YOU CAN'T USE IT IF IT'S REGULAR GRASS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS DOES HAVE, UM, FOUR ATHLETIC FIELDS, ESPECIALLY LONGER MORE USE, UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE, THE MUD TO DRY OUT. UM, AND THEN REDUCED OPERATING COSTS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE GOING OUT AND MOWING, AERATING THE SOIL, APPLYING FERTILIZER, OTTING, ET CETERA. UM, BUT IT DOES NEED REGULAR CLEANING. SO THE CONCERNS, UM, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IS ONE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, FOUND A A LOT ABOUT THAT IT, UH, BECAUSE GRASS EVAPORATES AND, UH, SO YOU KNOW, HOLDS MOISTURE, UM, IT'S A LOT COOLER THAN ARTIFICIAL TURF. WE'VE SEEN, UM, SOME, UH, RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE HOT OR HOTTER THAN CONCRETE. THAT'S A PRETTY BIG CONCERN. THE INFILL MATERIAL. AND THE NEXT SLIDE I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT MORE ABOUT HOW IT'S, UM, INSTALLED, BUT THERE'S A, SOME, AN INFILL MATERIAL THAT IS PLACED, UM, BETWEEN THE BLADES ESSENTIALLY. AND THAT MATERIAL CAN BE DIFFERENT THINGS. THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRODUCTS THAT YOU CAN USE, BUT, UM, A COMMON TYPE OF INFILL MATERIAL HAS, UM, IS IMPLICATED WITH PFAS IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS. UH, PFAS IS A FOREVER, THEY CALL FOREVER CHEMICAL. THERE'S A, IT'S ONE OF, UH, MANY PFOS. IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY A, UM, USED IN A LOT OF LUBRICANTS. IT'S IN, UH, SYNTHETIC CLOTHING THAT HAS WATERPROOFING, UM, UH, FOOD CONTAINERS. IT'S KIND OF EVERYWHERE AND IT DOESN'T REALLY BREAK DOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENT VERY WELL. AND IT'S IMPLICATED IN, UH, POTENTIAL CANCER CAUSING. SO THAT IS ONE OF THOSE EMERGING CONTAMINANTS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, AND IS OFTEN FOUND IN ARTIFICIAL TURF. AND BOTH THE INFILL AND ALSO IT IS USED, UM, IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE BLADES. UM, SO IT'S, UH, ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S THERE. METALS ARE ALSO A CONCERN. MICROPLASTICS, UM, FROM WATER QUALITY CONCERNS. SO, YOU KNOW, PFAS, HEAVY METALS, ANY KINDA SEDIMENT THAT FALLS THERE, ANY KIND OF, ANYTHING THAT SPILLS ON THERE THAT GETS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT RUNS OFF, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. UM, WATER CONSERVATION IS LIMITED BY THE NEED. UH, SO BECAUSE IT GETS HOT, IF IT'S REALLY HOT RIGHT BEFORE A GAME, PEOPLE WILL SOMETIMES WATER IT DOWN TO COOL IT OFF. UM, SO THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF WATER CONSERVATION BENEFIT THAT YOU GET. AND AGAIN, I MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU DO NEED TO CLEAN IT WITH THE DETERGENT THAT WILL RUN OFF. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO DO CONTINUALLY TO [00:50:01] MAINTAIN IT, IS CLEAN IT OFF. UM, THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL TO INCREASE RUNOFF FROM THE DRAINAGE, AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOW IT'S INSTALLED. THE INSTALLATION COSTS CAN BE PRETTY HIGH. UM, AND YOU DO NEED TO REPLACE THESE THINGS. SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE OPERATING DATA COSTS DAY TO DAY, MONTH TO MONTH, BUT UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A, A PARK OR A SCHOOL, IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO PUT IN YOUR, PERHAPS YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET TO REPLACE, UM, THE FIELD EVERY FEW YEARS. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, IT'S DIFFERENT POOLS OF MONEY, BUT IT'S STILL COST. AND THEN THERE'S SOME HEALTH CONCERNS, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TOO MUCH INTO THAT, BUT WE'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, MORE LIKELY TO BE CONCUSSIONS BECAUSE OF HOW HARD IT IS. AND THAT DEPENDS ON THE PRODUCT, OF COURSE. BUT ALSO BREATHING IN THE, THE, THE INFILL MATERIAL, THE PFAS, THE PLA PLASTICS, THE HEAT, THOSE ARE ALL KIND OF, UH, ISSUES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS JUST A DIAGRAM OF LIKE A TYPICAL INSTALLATION. THIS WOULD BE A PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION, NOT SOMEBODY WHO JUST BUYS SOME AND PUTS IT DOWN FOR THEIR DOG TO RUN ON. BUT, UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, PUT DOWN OVER COMPACTED NATIVE SOIL. SO YOU GO OUT, YOU REGRADE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A FLAT SURFACE, YOU COMPACT THAT SOIL, THEN YOU PUT A BASE GRAVEL ROCK LAYER ON TOP OF THAT. THERE'S A LEVELING LAYER, A SHOCK ABSORBING PAD, AND THEN THE TURF BLADES, AND THEN THAT INFILL MATERIAL IN THAT. AND SO THAT COMPACTING OF THE NATIVE SOIL IS WHERE WE GET THE IMPERVIOUS COVER CONCERNS. UM, A LOT, THIS ISN'T ON THE DIAGRAM, BUT ON A LOT OF THESE, THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE AN UNDER DRAIN SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR A LARGE FIELD, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER GETS INTO THE PIPE AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, IT DRAINS OFF THE FIELD. AND WHERE THAT WATER GOES IS WHERE WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE DOES THAT WATER GO AFTER IT GETS IN THAT PIPE. UM, IT'S NOT GETTING INTO THE SOIL. SO TURF MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS. UM, SO THIS WAS, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, YOU MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THERE WAS A WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE. AND, UH, I STOLE THIS PHOTOGRAPH FROM THAT ARTICLE ACTUALLY. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE TYPES OF INFILL MATERIALS THAT YOU CAN SEE. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S OFTEN SAND COATED WITH ACRYLIC MATERIAL. AND SO SAND OF COURSE, IS IN THERE, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. BUT THEN THE ACRYLIC COATING IS A PROBLEM. THERE ARE OTHER MATERIALS. UM, SOME, SOME PLACES USE GROUND UP TIRES BECAUSE IT'S NICE AND SPONGY AND SHOCK ABSORBING, AND YOU'RE RECYCLING THE TIRES, BUT THOSE TIRES HAVE A LOT OF POLLUTANTS ON THEM. UM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS CALLED, YOU KNOW, COCONUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UH, ORGANIC MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IN LIEU OF, OF THIS, UH, NUTSHELLS, COCONUT FIBERS, CORK, ET CETERA. UM, BUT THE IN FILL MATERIAL, ESPECIALLY THE ACRYLIC COATED SAND MIGRATES OFF PRETTY EASILY. THE PLASTIC BREAKS DOWN, IT ALSO MIGRATES OFF EASILY. UM, AND THEN THE FIELD ITSELF HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ACCUMULATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS OVER TIME. SO SOMETHING FALLS INTO IT, GOES INTO THE GRAVEL LAYER AND THAT JUST STAYS THERE USUALLY. SO WHAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, KICKING UP OVER TIME. THE BLADES THEMSELVES ARE PLASTIC, THEY BREAK DOWN. WE HAVE A HOT CLIMATE. I DON'T KNOW ANY PLASTIC THAT WILL WITHSTAND OUR CLIMATE OVER TIME. SO IT DEGRADES. UM, AND THEN WE'LL RUN OFF. UM, AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THE BLADES THEMSELVES ARE A SOURCE OF THAT PFAS, UM, WHICH IS A, A PRETTY BIG CONCERN. UM, THIS IS A PICTURE I DID THE SHOAL CREEK, UH, SHOPPING CART CORRAL EARLIER THIS YEAR AND SAW, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME ARTIFICIAL TURF IN THE CREEK. SO EVIDENCE THAT IT RUNS OFF, UM, TURF MATERIAL CONSIDERATION. SO, YOU KNOW, BREAKS DOWN OVER TIME. UM, THEN THAT GETS HAULED OFF TO A LANDFILL. YOU CAN'T REALLY RECYCLE IT. THE PERIODIC CLEANING WITH DETERGENTS, IT'S HOT AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THE MANUFACTURERS WILL HAVE SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT THAT YOU NEED TO CLEAN IT, AND IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THEIR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS, IT COULD VOID THE WARRANTY. SO YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS MORE EXPENSIVE, UH, EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN IT OVER TIME, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT NECESSARILY KNOW ABOUT THAT YOU KNOW HERE ABOUT, LIKE MAYBE YOUR OPERATING COSTS WILL BE LESS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE ALL THESE OTHER COSTS THAT MIGHT BE HIDDEN. UM, BUT PEOPLE DO, UH, ADVOCATE FOR ITS USE AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. UM, NATURAL SOD IS NOT PERFECT. UM, IT DOES HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, [00:55:01] MAINTENANCE CONCERNS AND THAT ADDS COSTS OVER TIME. SO SOIL, AIR AERATION, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT SAID THEY TYPICALLY GO OUT ON THEIR TURF FIELDS AND AERATE THEM TWICE A YEAR. OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO IRRIGATE IT TO KEEP IT ALIVE. YOU'LL HAVE TO REPLACE, UH, THE SOD PERIODICALLY, YOU KNOW, FERTILIZE AND HERBICIDE DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION AS NEEDED. UM, AND IT'S CHALLENGING TO MAINTAIN UNDER INTENSE USE. THE GRASS WILL DIE OVER TIME AND, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WHEN IT RAINS, YOU CAN'T USE THAT FIELD FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS UNTIL IT DRIES OUT. UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHEN WE GET QUESTIONS ABOUT ARTIFICIAL TURF, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE REAL POLICY RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO IT, THE QUESTION IS, IS IT CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER? UM, IMPERVIOUS COVER IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE LIMIT DEVELOPMENT TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR CREEKS AND NATURAL AREAS ESPECIALLY. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE SPOT SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS FOR CERTAIN USES. UM, AND SO PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS WILL HAVE A BUCKET OF IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT THEY CAN USE. AND SO IF YOU HAVE A LARGE FIELD THAT WILL BE CONVERTED TO FROM TURF TO ARTIFICIAL TURF, THAT MIGHT EAT UP THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT YOU HAVE. AND SO SCHOOLS ESPECIALLY HAVE, UM, CONSIDERATE, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER IT'S CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER OR NOT. UM, BUT WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT THAT? UM, AND HERE'S SOME MORE, PROBABLY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT YOU WANT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE OUR WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS AND OUR ZONING IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS. IMPERVIOUS COVER ITSELF IS DEFINED THE SAME WAY EITHER WAY. SO WE DEFINE IN WATERSHED AND OUR, OUR RULE WHAT IMPERVIOUS COVER MEANS, AND WHAT WE SAY IS THAT IF IT, IT'S THE TOTAL AREA OF ANY SURFACE THAT PREVENTS INFILTRATION OF WATER INTO THE GROUND. SO IT'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT INFILTRATION, NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFILTRATION, BUT DEEP INFILTRATION INTO THE SOIL. UM, AND WHY, WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT THAT? UM, HERE WE GO. SO LOW IMPERVIOUS COVER, THE WATER GOES DEEP INTO THE SOIL, IT CAN BE USED FOR TREES AND IT GOES DEEP INTO EITHER THE AQUIFER OR IT CAN, UH, PROVIDE BASE FLOW INTO THE NEAREST CREEK. SO THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS. I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE CREEK. UM, UH, THE, THE TRIANGLE OF, UH, ANYWAY, I'LL TALK ABOUT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. HIGH IMPERVIOUS COVER, IT DOESN'T GET TO RUN OFF, IT DOESN'T GET TO INFILTRATE AND IT RUNS OFF MORE SO IT'S MORE FLOODING, UM, MORE EROSION, LESS OF THAT WATER GETTING INTO THE SOIL, NOT BENEFITING TREES, NOT BENEFITING THE CREEK. UM, WHY DOES PERFECTNESS MATTER? SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PICTURES OF A, A CREEK WITH HIGH IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WE SEE IT'S, WE CALL IT URBAN STREAM SYNDROME. SO WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, A LOT OF WATER FLOWING OFF YOUR SITE VERY QUICKLY, IT CAUSES EROSION. THE CREEK UNDER IT STARTS TO, UH, IN SIZE, MEANING THAT IT STARTS TO LOWER WHERE IT IS, THERE'S MORE EROSION. THE CREEK ITSELF IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE TREES IN THE RIPARIAN ZONE NEXT TO IT, IT'S FLASHIER IT, UH, MEANING THAT IT WILL FLOOD VERY QUICKLY AND THEN DRY OUT VERY QUICKLY RATHER THAN NOT FLOODING AS MUCH AND HAVING A CONTINUAL BASE FLOW. SO IF YOU HAVE A NICE HEALTHY SOIL PERVIOUS AREA IN YOUR WATERSHED, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE CREEKS THAT LOOK HIGHLY ERODED AND ARE DRY. YOU'LL HAVE A NICE FLOWING CREEK WITH LOTS OF TREES ON EITHER SIDE. SO THAT'S GOOD FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION, HABITAT, POLLUTANT ATTENUATION, UH, UH, HEAT ISLAND, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. MORE DIVERSITY. SO THEY'LL HAVE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER IN A WATERSHED. WE SEE LESS BIODIVERSITY IN THE CREEK AS WELL. SO THE STREAM FUNCTIONAL PYRAMID AT THE VERY BASE OF THAT IS HYDROLOGY. SO THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY CREEK, YOU WANNA HAVE A LOT OF NICE CRITTERS IN THERE. YOU WANT IT TO BE CLEAN, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO SWIM IN THERE, YOU NEED TO FIX THE HYDROLOGY. AND SO THAT'S WHY OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS SO CONCERNED ABOUT IMPERVIOUS COVER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE A HEALTHY CREEK IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEALTHY HYDROLOGY AT THE BASE, WHICH IS THE BASE OF THE, OF A STREAM FUNCTIONAL PYRAMID. ALRIGHT, SO EXISTING PREVIOUS POLICIES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER THAT I'VE WORKED UNDER HAS STRUGGLED WITH AND THEY'VE COME UP [01:00:01] WITH DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS OVER TIME. SO, UM, THERE'S BEEN UNRESOLVED POLICY INTERPRETATIONS THAT TRY TO FIND A BALANCE THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE AND REVIEW FOR. AND SO THEY'VE JUST BEEN LEFT IN DRAFT FORM A CODING CRITERIA, AGAIN, COMPLETELY SILENT ON ARTIFICIAL TURF. UM, WE CURRENTLY, WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY IS, IS THAT IF THERE'S COMPACTED BASE, IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO ARTIFICIAL TURF IS IMPERVIOUS COVER. UM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE IT, IT HAS BEEN OVER TIME WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MAKING DECISIONS WHERE IT HASN'T BEEN CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER WITH CERTAIN CONDITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL, VANDER GRIFF HIGH SCHOOL, WE DO HAVE AN ILA WITH AUSTIN ISD CURRENTLY THAT SAYS IF YOU MEET CERTAIN CONDITIONS, IT'S NOT CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO THAT'S A COUNCIL APPROVED AGREEMENT. UM, ANN RICHARDS WAS APPROVED WITH AN 18 INCH SAND FILTER AND AN UNDER DRAIN. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS. SO THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN PRECEDENT SET, BUT IT'S BEEN KIND OF ONE-OFFS. UM, AND IT'S EACH ONE HAS HAD VARIOUS CONCERNS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO REPEAT. UM, FOR COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY PARKS, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS, IF YOU'RE NOT A SCHOOL AND YOU DON'T HAVE AN ILA, HOW DO WE HANDLE THESE THINGS? RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY NEED A PERMIT FOR THESE THINGS. SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO, FOR ANYONE TO REGULATE IT. UM, AND THERE'S NOT REAL, SINCE IT DOESN'T SAY IT'S AN IMPERVIOUS COVER, IF YOU'RE A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR A PLANNING REVIEW PERSON AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND YOU LOOK TO SEE WILL IS ARTIFICIAL TURF, THIS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE SHOWING IT ON THEIR PLANS, IS IT, IS IT IMPERVIOUS COVER? IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR THEM TO, TO FIND THAT OUT. SO, YOU KNOW, CLARITY WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL. UM, WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES ARE THAT WE SEE. SO COMMERCIAL, I'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THEM IN BEER GARDENS, WE SEE THEM IN THE BACKYARDS OF RESTAURANTS, PLAY SPACES FOR KIDS, EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, NOT JUST A ISD, BUT WESTLAKE HAS 'EM, UT ELEMENTARY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW OTHERS IN THERE. UM, WESTLAKE, UM, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS THEM IN A FEW PLACES. PRIVATE PARKS USE 'EM, USE ARTIFICIAL TURF AND THEN RESIDENTIAL. AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE TRICKIER THINGS. 'CAUSE A LOT OF PLACES THAT YOU SEE RESIDENTIAL, IT'S BEHIND THEIR, THEIR FENCE, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T OFTEN SEE RES UH, ARTIFICIAL TURF IN THE FRONT YARD. YOU CAN SOMETIMES, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE TO DO KIND OF A GOOGLE OR AERIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, SEARCH TO, TO FIND WHERE THESE ARE EVEN LOCATED. UM, AND AGAIN, YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT TO INSTALL WHAT'S CONSIDERED FLAT WORK. SO THIS WOULD BE FLAT WORK. YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT. UM, BENCHMARKING, AND THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE TOO SMALL FOR ME TO READ, BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA THAT HAVE TRIED TO PUT SOME CLARITY HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE'S NOT A REAL CLEAR, UM, IMPETUS THAT LIKE ALL MUNICIPALITIES ARE DOING ONE THING, SOME MUNICIPALITIES ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON DRAINAGE, NOT SO MUCH WATER QUALITY. PFLUGERVILLE IS ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT I'VE, WE'VE FOUND THAT HAS PROHIBITED IT. UH, GEORGETOWN, YOU KNOW, GEORGETOWN, DALLAS, RALEIGH, AND SOME OTHERS, YOU KNOW, ALLOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DRAINAGE CERTIFICATION AND SOMETIMES IT'S CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, THEY DO DIFFERENT THINGS SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIMITED TO 25% OF THE TOTAL LANDSCAPE AREA. UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PEOPLE OR DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE DONE DIFFERENT THINGS. ALRIGHT, SO WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST THE VERY BEGINNING OF IT, UM, IS THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF A CODE PROCESS INITIATED TO CLARIFY WHAT ARTIFICIAL TURF IS. UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT IT DOES BE CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER. THERE COULD BE SOME EXCEPTIONS FOR SCHOOLS OR PARKS OR MAYBE NOT. UM, AND SOME SORT OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE HARDEST AND PROBABLY THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL OVER TIME. YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE MANY OF THESE, UM, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT DRAIN TO WATER QUALITY PONDS. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF AN EARLY STAGE AND WE'RE HERE FOR, UH, YOU ALL TO GET SOME, GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE. UM, IF WE DO INITIATE THAT, THAT, UM, PROCESS, THEN IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COME BACK HERE. [01:05:02] UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE A ROBUST STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH PARKS, SCHOOLS, UM, HOAS AND THE VENDORS AND OTHERS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING RIGHT NOW. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HERE. JOHN CLEMENT HAS ALSO HELPED WITH SOME OF THE RESEARCH. HE'S HERE. FIRE AWAY. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE JUST HAVE, UH, ONE PERSON HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WHO WE'RE GONNA HEAR FIRST. AND THAT IS BOBBY LEVINSKY FROM SAVE OUR SPRINGS. I THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS, BOBBY LAVINSKY, SAFER SPRINGS ALLIANCE, UM, HERE, MOSTLY JUST SU TO SUPPORT THAT WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. UM, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS POPPED UP IN THE PAST FOR US. UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UM, IN AREAS THAT ARE VERY ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVE, WHERE THIS HAS POPPED UP AS A CONCERN. WE'VE ALSO HAD, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LOOK TO KIND OF FLATTEN OUT HILLSIDES TO BUILD ATHLETIC FIELDS, UM, WITH THE IDEA OF COMPACTING THE, THE TURF, UM, AND NOT TREATING IT AS IMPERVIOUS COVER. UH, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, THE CITY'S BEEN VERY CONSISTENT WITH ITS INTERPRETATION THAT ANY COMPACTED SUBSURFACE HAS BEEN IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO THAT'S NOT BEEN TOO MUCH OF AN ISSUE, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO GET IT IN THE CODE SO THAT WAY IT'S A VERY CLEAR STANDARD FOR THE FUTURE, FOR FUTURE INTERPRETATIONS. UM, I WROTE A LETTER THAT KIND OF HAD SOME OTHER INFORMATION IN THERE, UM, NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONCERNS, BUT THE TREND IS ACTUALLY TO SWITCH AWAY FROM ARTIFICIAL TURFS TO GRASS TURFS BECAUSE IT'S FOR PLAYER SAFETY. UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, I KNOW BOSTON HAS, UH, STARTED PUT, UH, DOING, UH, I GUESS IT'S MORE OF LIKE A MORATORIUM WHERE THEY'RE NOT PUTTING IN ANY MORE ARTIFICIAL TURF IN THEIR PARKS. UM, I THINK CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS DONE DONE SOMETHING SIM SIMILARLY, UM, SAN MARINO CA CALIFORNIA'S UH, DONE A BAN AS WELL. WHEN I INITIALLY DRAFTED THE LETTER, I WAS ACTUALLY SAYING, YEAH, GO FOR OPTION ONE. TREAT IT AS IMPERVIOUS COVER. THAT'S GREAT. AND THEN LIKE I LOOKED AT PFLUGERVILLE HAVING A BAN. I'M LIKE, WELL, IF WE, IF PFLUGERVILLE CAN DO IT, AUSTIN CAN DO IT TOO. SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS IT APPROPRIATE, WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE? UM, AND IF THERE ARE A TIMES WHERE WE CAN MOVE AWAY FROM USING ARTIFICIAL TURF, INCLUDING WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO, TO MOVE AWAY FROM IT AS WELL. UM, I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT. UH, I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTER. WE HAVE, UH, ROY WHALEY WITH THE SIERRA CLUB. HOW DO Y'ALL? MY NAME'S ROY WHALEY. I AM A SIERRA CLUB MEMBER. LONG TIME AND A LONG TIME ENVIRONMENTALIST AND KUDOS TO WATERSHED AND THAT EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND TO MY FRIEND BOBBY. UM, THAT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS BUILDING IS IMPERVIOUS COVER, THESE SORTS OF SITUATIONS. THAT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. WHEN YOU ASK, UM, AI, WHICH I RARELY DO, UM, WHAT SOIL COMPACTION IS, IT SAYS IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. WE MOVED A VERY POPULAR DISC GOLF COURSE FROM OUR, OUR BELOVED PARK OVER THERE ON SHOAL CREEK, JUST DOWN THE HILL FROM UT BECAUSE OF THE COMPACTION ON THE ROOT ZONES, WE WERE KILLING THE TREES. AND WE MOVED THAT. AND NOW THAT WAS A GREAT DECISION. WE'RE STILL ENJOYING THE PARK AND WHEN WE GET RAIN, THE TREES APPRECIATE IT. BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THAT SOIL IS NOT BEING COMPACTED IN THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE BECAUSE IT'S NO LONGER IMPERVIOUS COVER. AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AS ALWAYS, AND ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. PLEASE LET COMMON SENSE AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMON SENSE PREVAIL ON THIS, AS WAS MENTIONED, WE CAN USE RECLAIM THE WATER. WE CAN DO LIKE THE SOCCER STADIUM DOES. THEY HAVE A SPECIAL BLEND OF GRASS AND THEY WATER THAT DURING HALFTIME, AND THEN IT DRAINS INTO THE CREEK AND POLLUTES THE, THE CREEK FURTHER DOWN. BUT THAT'S A SEPARATE STORY. UM, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH OF A NO BRAINER. AND SO I'M HOPING THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD WILL DO LIKE YOU USUALLY DO, AND MAKE A VERY STRONG RECOMMENDATION [01:10:01] BASED OFF OF THE EXCELLENT SCIENCE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TONIGHT. AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'M GOING TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS IMPERVIOUS COVER ONTO THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I JUST WANNA NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE CHAIR BRISTOL JOINING US ONLINE AS WELL. LET'S GO TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS AND WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER BRIMER. OH, GEE. UH, I'M GONNA DEFER TO SOMEONE ELSE FIRST. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'M THE ONE THAT BROUGHT THIS UP AND THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT IT UP IS BECAUSE IF YOU TOOK A STROLL AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH HAS MANY DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, YOU WOULD SEE THAT, YOU'D PROBABLY FIND ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN OF THEM THAT HAVE REPLACED THEIR LAWNS WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF. THERE'S AT LEAST ONE HOUSE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH HAS HAD ARTIFICIAL TURF NOW FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. AND, UM, IT'S REALLY AN UGLY PIECE OF PROPERTY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A RUG AND YOU CAN SEE RIPPLES IN IT IN THEIR FRONT YARD, BUT IT'S LIKE A MANSION. SO IT'S KIND OF RIDICULOUS ABOUT THIS VERY EXPENSIVE PIECE OF PROPERTY HAVING CRAPPY, UH, IMPERVIOUS, UH, COVER IN FRONT OF IT THAT'S PAINTED GREEN. AND SO, UM, THAT'S MY CONCERN, IS MY CONCERN IS PEOPLE ARE GETTING AWAY FROM THE 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER ON SINGLE FAMILY LOTS BY REPLACING THEIR NATURAL GRASS AND SHRUBS WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF, AND AGAIN, CHEATING THE SYSTEM. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CREATING FLOODING PROBLEMS OR WHAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S VERY GOOD FOR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO , THANK YOU. I, I'M VERY FA MUCH IN FAVOR OF US DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BRIAN, OR I SEE YOUR, UH, MICROPHONE LIGHT ON. IS THAT A SIGNAL OR IS THAT ACCIDENTAL? ALRIGHT, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SPEAK NOW. OKAY. UH, BECAUSE IT IS AN ACCIDENT. BUT ANYWAY, I'LL GO AHEAD. UH, FIRST I HAVE A QUESTION THERE. SOME MONTHS AGO, UH, A GENTLEMAN CAME, UH, WITH AMENDMENT TO HIS POD, UM, OVER 360 AND, UH, THE LAKE, YOU KNOW, BY THE 360 BRIDGE AND IN THE ORIGINAL POD APPLICATION, HE WAS GOING TO PUT IN A SOLAR FARM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS CALLED IN THE POD, BUT UH, THAT'S THE WAY I PERCEIVE IT. IT WAS GONNA BE A BUNCH OF SOLAR ARRAYS PUT ON OPEN LAND. AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, HE'D, I ASKED HIM THAT WAS STILL GONNA BE PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT. HE SAID NO. AND HE, I ASKED WHY. AND HE SAID THAT WAS BECAUSE WATERSHED CONSIDERED THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YEAH, I MEAN, WE DO CONSIDER THE BASE AND I THINK THE, UH, THE SURFACE AREA, AS YOU KNOW, AS IT AS WATER HITS THE, IT DOES CAUSE RUNOFF. SO YEAH, I MEAN IT'S ON, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE PIERS. SO IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, ONE BIG PIECE OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE IS CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER. YES. OKAY. SO IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, UH, EVEN THOUGH THERE MIGHT BE SMALL CONCRETE BASE OR YOU ADD IT ALL UP AND THAT GENERATES AN AMOUNT OF PREVIOUS COVER? CORRECT. OKAY. UH, BUT THERE'S NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE GENERATING SOLAR ENERGY OUT OF THIS WHOLE THING. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A POLICY DIRECTIVE TO CHANGE THE CODE RELATED TO THAT? NO. OKAY. I ASK THAT BECAUSE THREE OR FOUR MEETINGS AGO, A NONPROFIT CAME HERE AND PITCHED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BASEBALL FIELD TO BE USED BY KIDS AND WITH UNABASHED ENTHUSIASM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVED THAT. AND THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE VOILA, ARTIFICIAL TURF THAT WAS . NO ONE LISTED. THEY HAD NOT DECIDED, JUST TO BE CLEAR, AT THAT POINT, THEY HAD NOT DECIDED THEY WERE LOOKING AT BOTH OPTIONS. UH, I KNOW, BUT NO ONE, I WOULD ALSO SAY I WAS A BASHED AND VOTED NO . WELL, OKAY. I WAS A BASHED AND VOTED NO TOO. BUT SOME OTHER PEOPLE WERE UNABASHED AND VOTED YES AND NO ONE PROPOSED A AMENDMENT TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS SAYING THAT WE APPROVE THIS ASSUMING THAT [01:15:01] YOU DO NOT DO IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH IS ARTIFICIAL TURF. SO I THINK IT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, I FIND IT A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING THAT NOW WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT PROHIBITING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF WHEN TWO MONTHS AGO WE JUST APPROVED, I DUNNO, HOW MANY ACRES OF ARTIFICIAL TURF IN A BASEBALL FIELD. SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A HARD TIME RECONCILING THE DISCREPANCY HERE. I UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS THAT, UH, LIZ PRESENTED AND I APPRECIATE THE IN-DEPTH DETAILED ANALYSIS OF IT. AND I'M NOT PARTICULARLY FOND OF ARTIFICIAL TURF EITHER, BUT I ALSO FIND IT A LITTLE BIT DISCONCERTING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOW HAVING A MEETING ABOUT, WELL, ARTIFICIAL TURF IS INHERENTLY EVIL TO THE PLANET. AND OH BY THE WAY, LET'S APPROVE PUTTING A BASEBALL FIELD WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE. AND I GUESS I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO MAKE UP OUR MIND EITHER IT'S INHERENTLY EVIL AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING IT BECAUSE IT CAUSES WAVES IN THE GROUND AND IT LOOKS BAD BECAUSE SOMEONE HADN'T BEEN KEEPING UP THEIR FRONT YARD. AND YOU OUGHT TO SEE MY FRONT YARD WITH ALL THE WEEDS I LEFT IN IT. YOU WOULDN'T WANNA LIVE NEXT TO MY HOUSE. BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. NEVERTHELESS, EITHER WE'RE GOING TO STRICTLY ADHERE TO THE CONCEPT OF NO ARTIFICIAL TURF OR WE'RE GONNA CUT SLACK TO EVERYONE COMES HERE THAT WANTS TO PUT UP A BASEBALL FIELD AND LET THEM PUT IN ARTIFICIAL TURF. THAT'S MY COMMENT. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. IT'S JUST THAT I THINK WE NEED AS A GROUP TO MAKE UP OUR MIND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS STUFF. CHAIR. MAY I RESPOND TO THAT? YES. AGAIN, I WILL REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER. I'M CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE ARE REPLACING THEIR FRONT YARDS WHERE SHRUBS CAN GROW, TREES CAN GROW, OTHER PLANTS CAN GROW BESIDES GRASS WITH ARTIFICIAL MATERIAL WHERE NONE OF THAT CAN HAPPEN, PERIOD. THIS WAS BEING PUT NEXT TO A STREAM IN A FLOOD ZONE WHERE IF IT RAINS, ALL THIS STUFF IS GONNA GO INTO A STREAM. SO I SEE THIS TO BE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN PUTTING IT IN YOUR FRONT YARD WHERE THE RAINS, AND THEN IT GOES OFF INTO THE GUTTERS, INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM AND THEN INTO THE STREAM AND THEN INTO TOWN LAKE OR LADY BURG LAKE OR LAKE AUSTIN, OR PICK YOUR LAKE. AND YOU HAVE ALL THESE PFAS CHEMICALS. SO, AND YOU CAN HAVE GRASS OUT THERE, WHICH YOU HAVE ALL THE BENEFITS THAT GRASS OFFERS EVERYONE. AND OF COURSE THERE YOU HAVE THE SHORTCOMINGS OF IT. YOU HAVE TO FERTILIZE IT, YOU HAVE TO USE HERBICIDE AND, AND AERATE IT AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. I MEAN, IT'S PLUSES AND MINUSES WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. AND I'M NOT MAKING A VALUE JUDGMENT ON THIS, BUT IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN ON PFAS AND ARTIFICIAL TURF, THEN LET'S COME DOWN ON IT AND WE NEED TO DRAW LINE AND SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO APPROVE BASEBALL FIELDS FOR PEOPLE ANYMORE THAT WANNA PUT DOWN ARTIFICIAL TURF AND JUST MAKE THAT A HARD AND FAST THING. WE'RE NOT GONNA CUT PEOPLE'S SLACK ANYMORE FOR THIS STUFF BECAUSE, WELL, IT'S BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT OR IT'S OKAY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WE'RE GONNA LET 'EM DO IT. AND I DON'T CARE WHICH IT IS, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE OUR DECISION AS A GROUP TO SAY THAT WE'RE OKAY WITH IT OR WE'RE NOT. AND I THINK THAT'S CHAIR, MAY I RESPOND ONE MORE TIME VERY BRIEFLY? NO, I'M SORRY. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA JUMP IN HERE REALLY QUICK AND I'M, I'M SORRY. UM, I, I WANNA HEAR FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, RATHER THAN CONTINUE THIS VOLLEY OF DEBATE, SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO IT'S TWO TO ONE BRIER VERSUS SULLIVAN. HE GOT TWO CHANCES. I GET ONE CHANCE. WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK, UH, AFTER EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK ONCE. WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK FOR FOLLOW UP COMMENTS. COMMISSIONER FIERRO? NO QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER MORE OR I I DO HAVE A QUESTION. SO AS OF NOW, DO WE HAVE A, LIKE A CLEAR DISPOSAL PLAN FOR THE ONES THAT WE LIKE, HAVE ALREADY THERE A CLEAR DISPOSAL PLAN? YEAH. LIKE HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH IT? RIGHT. SO IF YOU NEED TO REPLACE AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD, IT, IT GOES TO A LANDFILL. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. AND I WAS JUST, I I, I RUN INTO THIS PAPER THAT, UH, UNTIL 2023, THE [01:20:01] LOADS AND PROPERTIES OF ARTIFICIAL TURF IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS AROUND THE WORLD IS STILL UNKNOWN. SO AS OF NOW, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING. SO JUST, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FLURRY. YEAH, A FEW QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS HERE IS, UH, I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED THAT WE APPROVED IT RECENTLY AND THEN NOW, 'CAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE, UM, THE FACT THAT CITY, UH, WATERSHED HAS BEEN CONFUSED FOR A DECADE ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS, JUST SHOWS IT'S A COMPLICATED TOPIC, AND THIS IS OUR MOMENT OF BEING INFORMED. I DON'T KNOW IF I KNEW AS MUCH AS I KNOW NOW, SO I'M NOT CONCERNED, UH, THAT WE, UH, APPROVED THAT RECENTLY. UH, SO JUST MAKE THAT COMMENT. AND THEN FOR ME, WHAT'S MORE THE ISSUE IS THAT WE DON'T WANT AN IMPERVIOUS COVER. IT'S NOT THAT OUR, AND, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY ARTIFICIAL TURF COMES WITH SOME OTHER NE NEGATIVES TO IT, BUT JUST LIKE POROUS CONCRETE, THERE'S ORGANIC INFILL MATERIAL, THERE IS, YOU KNOW, PERVIOUS, UH, TURF COMING AROUND. WHAT, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? THERE'S, UM, MATRIX TURF, ASTROS TURF CLAIMING NO PFAS. SO TECHNOLOGY'S AROUND THE CORNER TO, TO DO THIS. SO I THINK OUR POLICY CAN HELP THAT BY SAYING LIKE, THE, THOSE PRECEDENTS HAVE WHERE, HEY, YOU CAN PUT IN TURF PROVIDED DOESN'T HAVE PFAS PROVIDED IT'S PERVIOUS. SO I THINK THERE'S A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION HERE AND OUR POLICY CAN GUIDE THAT. UM, AND THEN I GUESS A QUESTION IS COMPACTED SOIL, DOES THE CITY MEASURE THAT AND COUNT THAT AS IMPERVIOUS? YEAH. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A, UM, LOT THAT YOU'VE BEEN PARKING CARS ON AND IS NOT PAVED OVER TIME THAT SOIL BECOMES COMPACTED. AND WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE COMPACTED IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO ANY COMPACTED BASE IS CON CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER. SO, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES HERE. YOU COULD DESIGN THESE THINGS TO STORE CERTAIN RAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, RAIN EVENT SUCH THAT IT DOESN'T CAUSE RUNOFF. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SAY THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, CAUSING RUNOFF, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S STILL SOAKING DEEPLY INTO THE SOIL LIKE WE'D WANT TO SEE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE DRAINAGE CONSIDERATION IS ONE THING, BUT THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF NOT HAVING IT INFILTRATE IS ANOTHER THING. AND THAT'S THE HARDEST THING FOR US TO GET, UM, TO GET THESE TO DO BECAUSE THEY ALL NEED, ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THEM NEED COMPACT, ESPECIALLY THE BIG FIELDS COMPACTED SUBGRADE. UM, SO YEAH. HOW DOES THE CITY GO OUT AND CHANGE THAT OF A, WHAT LOOKS LIKE NON-COMP COMPACTED TWO COMPACTED? SO AFTER ACL IN A BIG EVENT LIKE THAT, DOES THAT BECOME YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE GET TO THAT LEVEL, BUT YEAH. YEAH. NO, GOOD, GOOD POINT. UM, ONE THING I DO RECOMMEND, I LIKE TO THINK DEVIL'S ADVOCATE SOMETIMES, WHERE DOES TURF MAKE SENSE? THAT IT DOES MAKE SENSE IN SOME PLACES WE USE IT A LOT IN PARKS AND WILDLIFE FOR PROVIDING ACCESSIBILITY FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, GETTING TO THE BEACH, GETTING TO A FISHING POND, THEY ROLL OUT A MAT, THEY PULL IT BACK OUT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A TEMPORARY, UM, UM, UH, EXCLUSION IN THERE OR A PART OF THE POLICY, BUT I THINK THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT THAT IT DOES MAKE SENSE SOMETIMES TO USE THIS, UM, IN, IN SOME INSTANCES. UH, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS. YEAH. AND, AND TO THAT, I, I'VE SPOKEN WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS. THEY ASKED ME TO PRESENT THIS, UM, AS WELL. SO WE, JOHN AND I WENT, UH, LAST WEEK AND THEY DID MENTION THE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS AND IT WAS THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE THAT, UM, THERE, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CARE ABOUT IT AND WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT THEY DID SAY THAT IT'S THE ONE OF THE FEW, UM, PLAYGROUND MATERIALS THAT IS ALSO ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT. THAT THEY CAN USE. YEAH. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER C***K. SET. HI. THANKS SO MUCH. UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF PROGRAMS EXIST CURRENTLY FOR PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS AND WANT TO INSTALL TURF OR NOT. ARE THERE LIKE ANY HOOPS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AT ALL? IS THERE ANY INCENTIVE TO HAVE A MORE NATURAL LANDSCAPE ON YOUR LAND? I'M NOT A LANDOWNER, SO I DON'T KNOW. NO. RIGHT, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO INCENTIVES TO DO IT OR NOT DO IT ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S CONSIDERED IMPERVIOUS COVER. AND I WOULD NOT EXPECT AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER TO KNOW THAT. RIGHT. AND THEY PROBABLY HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS FROM VENDORS TO SAY, OH, NO WATER GOES RIGHT THROUGH IT, IT'S PERVIOUS. WELL, DEPENDS ON HOW IT'S INSTALLED, PROBABLY NOT REALLY. UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN NEEDS TO. WE, WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW AND SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AND WE [01:25:01] NEED TO HAVE MORE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR CODE DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT IF THIS IS OUT THERE, THAT PEOPLE MAY BE EXCEEDING THEIR 45% IMP IMPROVE COVER LIMIT WITHOUT REALLY REALIZING IT. YOU KNOW, I SAW ON THE SLIDE, UM, ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE THE VENDORS OF THE IMPERVIOUS COVER. UM, HAVE YOU HAD ANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS YET? AND WHAT DID THOSE SORT OF LOOK LIKE SO FAR? YEAH, ACTUALLY THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY CONVENED KIND OF A GROUP OF, UM, AUSTIN AND SOME OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OVER THE LAST YEAR TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, ONE OF THE VENDORS THAT'S BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO ENGAGE. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO HEAR WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE. SO, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER FLURY SUGGESTED THERE ARE NEW MATERIALS COMING OUT, THERE MIGHT BE BETTER INFILL OPTIONS OR MAYBE PRODUCTS WITHOUT PFAS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE AND WANTED TO, WELL, THEY WANTED TO CONVINCE US THAT IT WAS NOT IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH WE WERE NOT CONVINCED. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM. YES. IS IT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF CITY CODE TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? TO SAY TO A PRIVATE HOMEOWNER, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU CAN'T INSTALL ARTIFICIAL TURF UNLESS IT MEETS THESE CERTAIN CRITERIA OR TO, UH, APPLY THAT NOT TO THE HOMEOWNER, BUT TO THE VENDOR INSTEAD, IT WOULD BE TO DEVELOPMENT. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD A CLARITY IN THE CODE, IT WOULD BE WHERE IMPERVIOUS COVER IS DEFINED. SO IMPERVIOUS COVER IS DEFINED AS, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER DOESN'T ALLOW WATER TO INFILTRATE. BUT THEN THE CODE ALSO HAS EXCEPTIONS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, PUBLIC SIDEWALKS DON'T COUNT AGAINST YOUR OVERALL WATER, UM, YOUR OVERALL IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, LONG AGO THERE WAS A DESIRE TO NOT, UM, TO REQUIRE SIDEWALKS AND NOT CAUSE PEOPLE TO, UM, LOSE DEVELOPABLE AREA. SO, SO THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT. FIRE LANES HAVE SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS, UM, DRAINAGE SWALES WITH SOME CONCRETE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE THE CODE SAYS IT IS IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE NOT GONNA COUNT IT AGAINST THE OVERALL WATER QUALITY LIMIT. UM, SO THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU DO. UH, THE CODE ALSO SAYS LIKE, DECKS ARE CONSIDERED 50% IF THERE'S A GAP MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, SO THOSE, THERE, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD SAY, WE WOULDN'T SAY LIKE YOU, WELL, UNLESS, UNLESS THAT'S WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS, JUST TO NOT ALLOW IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN NECESSARILY, BUT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO CONSIDER IT IMPERVIOUS COVER OR NOT, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD PUT IT IN THE CODE. WE WOULD SAY IT IS OR IS AN IMPERVIOUS COVER. AND IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS FOR FIELDS OR WHATEVER, THEN WE, WE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, NO PFAS, IT NEEDS TO HAVE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF GRAVEL LAYER. I DON'T KNOW, IT, WE WOULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING AT THAT POINT. OKAY. OR WE COULD JUST SAY IT'S ALWAYS IMPERVIOUS COVER EVERYWHERE. THAT'S ANOTHER WAY. AND WOULD THERE BE ANY ROUTE TO SORT OF LIKE MODERATE THE, THE, UM, TURF THAT'S ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED? LIKE IS THERE ANY WAY TO DEAL WITH THE STUFF THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, I THINK IT WOULD BE WE COULD WORK WITH OUR CODE DEPARTMENT TO GO OUT AND THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, ENFORCE ON HOMEOWNERS, UM, THAT IS LIKELY TO BE UNPOPULAR IF WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, DONE THE, THE LEGWORK TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT IT FIRST. MM-HMM . SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT IT FIRST, LET THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, LET THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT A IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT EVEN IS, AND THEN WORK WITH OUR CODE DEPARTMENT TO, TO ENFORCE MORE ON IT AND BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH IT. OKAY. LAST, MY LAST QUESTION. YEAH. WHAT DO THOSE, UM, EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS LOOK LIKE? UM, ARE THEY LIKE ACCESSIBLE IN THE MAJORITY OF THE SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN THE AREA? ARE THEY ACCESSIBLE TO, YOU KNOW, HOMEOWNERS BUT ALSO RENTERS AND ET CETERA? YEAH, WE WOULD, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T FORMED IT YET. UM, SO YES, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE OR MAYBE THE, UM, CITY'S COMMUNICATIONS, UM, INFORMATION OFFICE TO DEVELOP WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND YEAH, I MEAN, THEY, THEY DO HAVE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND TRY TO MAKE IT ACCESS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE. BUT THANK YOU. WE ALL KNOW IT'S HARD TO CUT [01:30:01] THROUGH THE NOISE, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM. SO IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WILL WE DO WHAT WE CAN? YEAH. I WONDER ALSO IF IT WOULD BE, UM, WORTH IMPLEMENTING JUST A LITTLE TOKEN OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IT TO, UM, OUTREACH EVENTS WITH CHILDREN MM-HMM . JUST BECAUSE I, I FEEL LIKE VERY OFTEN, UM, CHILDREN ARE KIND OF LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, A VOICE THAT PAR PARENTS WILL LISTEN TO WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT. UM, BUT I REMEMBER MYSELF AS A KID COMING HOME AND BEING LIKE, DID YOU NOT RECYCLE THAT ? OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE FILLING THE EARTH. SO, UM, I WONDER IF THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, JUST SO THAT THEY, THE CHILDREN ALSO GROWING UP CAN LEARN LIKE, WHAT IS A HEALTHY LAWN? YEAH. LIKE, MAYBE IT'S NOT THE TYPICAL GREEN MONOCULTURE THAT WE SEE. LIKE WHAT SORTS OF SERVICES DO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LAWNS DO, DO YOUR PARENTS HAVE TURF? THAT TYPE OF THING. . YEAH. YEAH. AGREED. YEAH. AND IN FACT, I MIGHT ACTUALLY, UM, LIKE LIVING NEXT TO COMMISSIONER BREMER WITH HIS WEEDS, HE MIGHT, I WAS THINKING THAT TOO. YEAH. DOESN'T SOUND BAD. I, I HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN, IF WE CAN JUST WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE ELSE HAS A CHANCE FIRST AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. ARE YOU FINISHED? YEAH. ALL DONE. THANKS SO MUCH. MM-HMM . OKAY. SECRETARY KISHI. HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF I HAVE QUESTIONS. I HAVE MORE OF COMMENTS, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT THEY CAN PROBABLY JUST WAIT TILL WE START TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, RESOLUTION. SO, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR ME. CHAIR BRISTOL. YEAH. UM, FIRST OFF, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION AND VERY INFORMATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING. UM, SO A COUPLE THINGS. I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I'M OF THE MIND THAT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN JUST A ONE-TIME PRESENTATION. UM, I FEEL LIKE MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIG INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE AND HAVE THAT WORKING GROUP COME FORWARD WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMS FAVORABLE TO Y'ALL, BUT, UM, I WILL JUST TOSS THAT OUT THERE AS AN IDEA. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHERE MY HEAD IS AT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA SEE THIS IN ANY MORE PARKS. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR AREAS, UH, OF PLAYGROUNDS FOR CHILDREN WITH LIMITED MOBILITY, THAT ONE, THAT IS A, A STICKING POINT FOR ME BECAUSE I, I DO REALLY, REALLY WANT TO SEE US BE MORE, UM, ACCESSIBLE FOR ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, UM, WHO HAVE, UH, THAT NEED. SO AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE IT'S LIKE, I FEEL LIKE I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH ON THAT ONE. UM, I, UM, I, I ECHO, UH, COMMISSIONER FLURRIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS AROUND WITH, WITH BETTER MATERIALS COMING FORWARD, UM, USING THOSE ON SPORTS FIELDS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD FA AND BE IN FAVOR OF THAT. AND THE REASON I MENTIONED SPORTS FIELDS IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF FERTILIZING AND WATER USE REPEATEDLY WHEN YOU HAVE SOD, WHICH IS WHY CERTAIN SCHOOLS HAVE DECIDED TO PUT IN THE TURF GRASS TO LIMIT THE FERTILIZER, THE MOWING, THE WATERING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ALSO HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CATCH 22 WITH SPORTS FIELDS WHEN IT COMES TO RESIDENTIAL. NOBODY NEEDS TO HAVE THIS LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT. LIKE, I, I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY SOMEBODY WOULD, UH, OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA MOW AND THEY DON'T WANNA WATER THEIR GRASS AND, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY WANT SOMETHING THAT LOOKS GREEN, UH, ALL YEAR ROUND, UH, AND THEN IT'S TOO HOT TO ACTUALLY GO OUT, ENJOY IT, SO THEN THEY'RE NEVER GOING OUTSIDE ANYMORE, YADA, YADA, YADA. RIGHT? GOES ON DOWN THE LINE. UM, SO SCHOOLS, UM, AGAIN, I MEAN A SPORTS FIELD FOR SCHOOL, I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE OPEN TO LOOKING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE AN OPEN MIND TOWARDS THAT. UM, I, I DON'T HAVE AN OPEN MIND TOWARDS THEM USING THIS JUST AS PART OF [01:35:01] THEIR LANDSCAPING, UM, YOU KNOW, CONFIGURATION. UM, I, I THINK THAT CHILDREN, UM, NEED TO HAVE A CONNECTION WITH LIVING AND GROWING THINGS AND, UM, AND NOT HAVING THEIR FACE GROUND INTO, UM, A, A MATERIAL THAT WE KNOW HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PF ASS, HOWEVER YOU SAY IT, SFAS OR WHATEVER. UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER A KID, YOU KNOW, FALLS AND SKINS THEIR KNEES AND THEN THEY GET THOSE LITTLE PIECES IN THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, UM, THAT'S NOT GOOD. UM, IT ALSO CAUSES INJURIES, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR, UM, REPEATED IMPACT ON A HARD SURFACE. IT DOES BECOME VERY HARD, UM, AFTER A WHILE JUST AS, UM, UH, LIZ, UH, DESCRIBED EARLIER. SO, UM, I DO, I DO THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF CLARITY WITHIN THE CODE. UM, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, JUST LIKE WHAT COMMISSIONER FLORY SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S REALLY NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT THERE YET, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, UM, HELP DEFINE THAT, UH, IN A WAY THAT WE KIND OF HELP DEFINE, YOU KNOW, OR ARE DEFINING, YOU KNOW, BIRD FRIENDLY, RIGHT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND SO WHAT ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT LAYERS? AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT A WORKING GROUP CAN HELP DRILL DOWN ON THAT. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT OR ELIZABETH REMIND ME THE, UH, ELIZABETH BUNK WATERSHED. OKAY. SO IT IS POSTED AS PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND ACTION. SO THAT ACTION COULD BE, UM, TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP. UM, SO IF THAT WERE THE CASE AT THE END OF Y'ALL'S DISCUSSION, THAT COULD BE THE MOTION, AND THEN YOU GUYS WOULD PICK, OR UP TO FIVE MEMBERS COULD BE A PART OF THAT. UM, AS A REMINDER, WORKING GROUPS DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF SUPPORT, BUT I CAN HELP GET YOU ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS YOU WILL MEET ON YOUR OWN, BUT I CAN KIND OF HELP FACILITATE SOME OF THE, UM, QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR STAFF. AND, BUT WHEN YOU COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION, WHEN THE WORKING GROUP PRESENTS THEIR REPORT, THE WORKING GROUP'S AUTOMATICALLY DISSOLVED. GREAT. AND, UH, QUESTION, IF WE HAD A WORKING GROUP ESTABLISHED FOR THIS, WE COULD ROPE IN LIKE A ISD OR PAR TO BE ABLE TO CHIME IN AS WELL. RIGHT. AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO ANYONE CAN BE INVOLVED. THE BIGGEST THING IS YOU CANNOT HAVE SIX MEMBERS OR MORE OF THIS COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT IS CONSIDERED, UM, YEAH. A QUORUM AND DOING BUSINESS OUTSIDE OF MEETING. UM, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT COM MAKE ANYBODY JOIN , BUT YOU CANNOT FORCE ASK. YEAH. AND I WILL ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, STAFF PRESENCE IS NOT GUARANTEED, BUT IF STAFF HAS BANDWIDTH, WE MAY BE, WE'LL DO ADJOIN A MEETING OR TWO FROM TIME TO TIME. COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, UM, I, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS FIRST, UM, BEFORE WE MAKE ANY MOTION EITHER WAY. SURE. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS HAS BEEN A HOT TOPIC FOR A LONG TIME, SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE SPACE TO TALK ABOUT IT. NO PUN INTENDED. HI, NO PUN INTENDED. HOT TOPIC. UM, I KNOW ONE OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS BROUGHT UP OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE BANNED THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF. I THINK YOU ALL MENTIONED PFLUGERVILLE. I JUST WANTED TO REVIEW THAT LIST AGAIN. SO I HAVE SAN MARINO, PFLUGERVILLE, AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS BOSTON OR A TOWN NEAR BOSTON, BUT WHAT, WHAT CITIES IN YOUR RESEARCH HAVE YOU FOUND THAT HAVE COMPLETELY BANNED ITS USE? UH, ELIZABETH BUNK WATERSHED FOR BOSTON, IT WAS THAT THEY'RE NOT USING IT IN PARKS ANY LONGER. UM, SO THAT WAS KIND OF A INTERNAL POLICY DECISION RATHER THAN A CODE AMENDMENT. UM, GOT IT. AND THAT'S THE EXTENT ON THAT . OKAY. SO YOU ALL AREN'T AWARE OF ANY OTHER CITIES OUTSIDE OF SAN MARINO, PFLUGERVILLE, AND THEN BOSTON IN PUBLIC PARKS? I MEAN, WE DIDN'T LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE CITY, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE FOUND SO FAR. SURE, YEAH. OKAY. YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT THERE'S PRECEDENCE RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD WITH PFLUGERVILLE. AND I LIKE THE IDEA OF US CONTINUING THAT GOOD WORK. TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHERE I STAND, I, I THINK WE SHOULD BAN IT WHEN WE KNOW BETTER. WE DO BETTER. THERE ARE SO MANY KNOWN HAZARDOUS HEALTH IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. I JUST THINK WE KEEP PRIORITIZING AS A SOCIETY, OUR CONVENIENCE OVER OUR OWN WELLBEING. AND IT, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. THERE ARE KNOWN ALTERNATIVES. I'M INTERESTED IN PROMOTING PROGRAMS LIKE THE AUSTIN WATERWISE PROGRAM, LANDSCAPING PROGRAM. THERE ARE ALREADY PROGRAMS THAT EXIST THAT HELP [01:40:01] PEOPLE CONSERVE WATER, BEAUTIFY THEIR LAWNS. I THINK A LOT MORE CAN BE DONE THERE. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO GREW UP PLAYING SPORTS. I WAS A BAND NURSE, SO THAT WASN'T ME. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PHYSICAL IMPACTS OF PLAYING ON TURF ARE REAL. LIKE WE KNOW THAT ANECDOTALLY, THE, THE RESEARCH SHOWS IT. IT'S NOT JUST IN HARMED LIMBS. THERE ARE KNOWN CARCINOGENS IN THESE THINGS. SO IT'S CONFUSING TO ME TO THINK ABOUT MAKING AN EXCEPTION FOR CHILDREN'S SPORTS. WHEN SHOULDN'T WE BE PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN THE MOST? UM, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE INCONVENIENCES HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK INCONVENIENCE SHOULD BE A REASON NOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THAT'S OUR JOB HERE, IS TO TRY AND SET A NEW STANDARD MOVING FORWARD. WE, AT OUR AGE HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPOSED TO SO MANY TOXIC CHEMICALS. THE BEST WE CAN DO FOR THE NEXT GENERATION IS TRY TO LOWER AND LIMIT THAT EXPOSURE. SO I UNDERSTAND NOT EVERYONE MAY BE ON THE SAME PAGE TONIGHT. I AM. I WOULD BE OPEN TO A WORKING GROUP IDEA. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THIS ISSUE RIGHT. AND THERE IS SOME NUANCE TO ROLL OUT, BUT I'M CERTAINLY CLEAR ABOUT WHERE I, WHERE I STAND, AND I WOULD, I WOULD WANNA SEE AUSTIN BANNING ITS USE, UM, COMPLETELY. I ALSO THINK HAVING AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN AROUND THE ALTERNATIVES, THE HEALTH IMPACTS IS A GREAT IDEA. UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DID I WANT TO ADD? OH, JUST CLEARLY DEFINING IN CITY CODE THAT ARTIFICIAL TURF IS IMPERVIOUS COVER. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARITY AROUND THAT. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE HERE. THAT'S PROBABLY NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS BODY ANYWAY. SO I COULD SEE A WORKING GROUP FURTHER WORKING TO REFINE WHAT THAT LANGUAGE COULD LOOK LIKE. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO DO AS A GROUP. I THINK WE COULD JUST ASK THAT THE CITY DOES THAT. UM, YEAH. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND. BUT I WANNA DO A TEMPERATURE CHECK BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS. UM, SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK COMMISSIONER, UM, MORTA, HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. YEAH, I WAS JUST WONDERING. UM, SO YOU SAID THAT THEY, THAT THEY CAN USE IT WHENEVER, LIKE TO MAKE MORE ACCESSIBLE, UH, ENTRANCES OR WHEREVER TO PLACES AND THAT YOU CAN LIKE PUT IT AND THEN TAKE IT OUT. YEAH. SO THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE ENGINEERING THAT SHE WAS SHOWING THERE. UM, BUT YOU CAN STAKE IT DOWN WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A TENT STAKES OR WHATNOT AND THEN ROLL IT BACK UP AFTER HOWEVER LONG. IS IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE DOING? LIKE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS DOING WHENEVER THERE ARE ? SO I KNOW DEFINITELY OTHER PARKS ARE DOING IT AROUND THE, THE THE STATE. I, I CAN IMAGINE THE CITY DOES IT FOR A SPECIAL EVENT WHEN THEY NEED TO IN AN AREA, BUT I WOULD NOT DOUBT THAT IT HAPPENS FROM TIMES TO TIME. YEAH. THAT THE SORT OF TEMPORARY INSTALLATIONS WOULD NOT REALLY NEED A PERMIT, SO WE WOULDN'T REALLY BE WEIGHING IN ON WHETHER IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER OR NOT. AND REALLY IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD GO THAT FAR AS TO SAY WE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. UM, IF IT, IF IT HELPS SOMEBODY IN A WHEELCHAIR GET TO POINT A TO POINT B. RIGHT. OF COURSE. SO THIS IS A MAYBE CRAZY IDEA, BUT WHAT IF, EH, EASY WAS SAYING LIKE, WHAT IF WE CAN HAVE A TYPE OF INCENTIVE, UH, FOR LANDOWNERS TO CHANGE THE, THE ARTIFICIAL TUR TO LIKE A NATURAL LANDSCAPE? AND I WAS THINKING THEY COULD, AND BECAUSE WE ARE JUST THROWING IT IN THE LANDFILL. SO WHEN, WHEN WE'RE ASKING TO REPLACE AND WE'RE JUST ASKING THEM TO JUST GENERATE MORE, MORE TRASH. SO WHAT IF WE GIVE IT, LIKE, IF THEY, IF THEY CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE IT, CHANGE OR MAKE THE CHANGE AND THE HOMEOWNERS CAN DONATE THAT TO, UH, THE CITY SO THE CITY CAN USE IT. AND IN THE, IN THOSE, IN THOSE, UH, EVENTS, WHENEVER THERE ARE, THEY ACTUALLY FACILITATE, UH, PEOPLE GOING TO PLACES AND WE'RE BEING MORE BI. YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TOPIC FOR A WORKING GROUP TO KIND OF FLESH OUT. YEAH. YEAH. WE'LL SEE. , COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO, UM, SAY SOMETHING EARLIER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE? IF WE HAD HAD THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE WE HAD THE BALLPARK, THEN WE ALL WOULD'VE VOTED AGAINST IT HAVING ARTIFICIAL TURF. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL. OH, COMMISSIONER BRISTOL. YES. THANK YOU. OR CHAIR BRISTOL. EXCUSE ME. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, IF Y'ALL ARE IN FAVOR OF DOING A WORKING GROUP, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO SERVE ON THAT. OKAY. YEAH. I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN DO A TEMPERATURE CHECK [01:45:01] ON OPPOSED TO A WORKING GROUP. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW. I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW TO DO THIS. IF WE WANNA DO A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR A WORKING GROUP OR IF WE WANNA JUST KIND OF TALK IT OUT. LIKE I SAID, I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE I STAND TONIGHT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO FEEL LIKE WE COULD BENEFIT FROM WORKING GROUP. ARE WE ABLE TO SORT OF SAY THAT TURF IS IMPERVIOUS COVER AND LIKE HAVE THAT MOVE FORWARD, BUT THEN ALSO HAVE THE WORKING GROUP TO FURTHER REFINE IT, BUT JUST HAVE THAT LIKE BE SET IN THE MEANTIME? YEAH. FOR A CODE AMENDMENT, UM, THE, SO CODE GETS CHANGED TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. COUNCIL CAN INITIATE A CODE AMENDMENT, CHANGE CODE OF CHANGE, OR THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN. AND SO YOU, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD BE NOW, OR IT COULD BE AFTER THE WORKING GROUP CONVENES, UM, THAT, THAT YOU RECOMMEND THAT PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATE A CODE AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS, UM, AND TO CLARIFY THAT OUR ARTIFICIAL TURF IS A PREVIOUS COVER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OR YOU COULD NOT DO THAT TONIGHT AND WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE WORKING GROUP. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT YOU WOULD BE ASKING TO DO. UM, YOU KNOW, OR YOU COULD ASK COUNSEL TO INITIATE IT. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BRING IT TO PLANNING COMMISSION AFTER YOUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT YOU COULD ALSO ASK COUNSEL TO DO IT. SO THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PATHS. NOW I THINK I UNDERSTOOD COMMISSIONER CHEN'S QUESTION TO BE, CAN WE PASS A RE RECOMMENDATION THAT SAYS, HEY, MAKE THIS, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THEN ALSO MAKE A WORKING GROUP? YOU COULD DO, YOU COULD DO BOTH. UM, YOU WOULDN'T MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO JUST SAY THAT IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. YOU WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO INITIATE A CODE AMENDMENT TO SAY THAT IT'S IMPERVIOUS COVER. I DID. I JUST THOUGHT OF ANOTHER QUESTION. UM, YOU MENTIONED HOW THE WAY THINGS ARE WRITTEN NOW, THERE'S REALLY NO OPPORTUNITY FOR A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO GO IN AND SEE IF A RESIDENTIAL AREA IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR IMPERVIOUS COVER. UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR REVIEW TO BE DONE FOR RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OUT OF COMPLIANCE? YEAH, I THINK WE WOULD LEAN ON THE CODE AND, UM, THE CODE DIVISION AND THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WOULD GO ABOUT DOING SUCH A CAMPAIGN. MM-HMM . UM, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING. OKAY. YEAH. UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I HAVE A MOTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION. 'CAUSE I'M JUST NOT CLEAR YET. IF WE, IF WE HAVE CONSENSUS, IT MIGHT BE WORTH ME PUTTING THE MOTION ANYWAY AND SEEING IF YOU ALL SUPPORT. OH, YES. CHAIR BRISTOL STILL. OH, I WAS JUST, YEAH, SORRY. UM, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, SO I WAS GONNA KIND OF THINK ABOUT, UM, WE COULD PUT FORWARD A MOTION A AND CALL FOR A WORKING GROUP. LIKE WE CAN DO BOTH. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH WORD FRIENDLY DESIGN IS WE MM-HMM . WE PUT FORWARD A MOTION, AND THEN WE ALSO FORMED A WORKING GROUP. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. COMMISSIONER BRIER, I GENERALLY, MY THOUGHTS ARE GENERALLY SIMILAR TO YOURS AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, ARTIFICIAL TURF. I THINK IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA. HOWEVER, I WOULD THINK THAT IT'D BE BETTER TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP FORMED TO NUANCE THE RECOMMENDATION. AND THE REASON I MENTIONED THAT IS THAT WHEN YOU COME OUT WITH A BLANKET PROHIBITION ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THERE MAY BE A LOT OF THOUGHT THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO IT FOR EXCEPTIONS. I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY AND SOME OTHER THINGS. AND THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY WANT TO INCLUDE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. AND IT MAY BE TO THE BENEFIT IN THE LONG TERM TO GET SOMETHING PASSED TO GATHER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON A, YOU KNOW, INFORMAL BASIS BY ASKING OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, CALLING UP OTHER, I DON'T KNOW, OTHER CHAIRS OF OTHER COMMISSIONS OR COUNCIL MEMBERS OR I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS, UH, TO GATHER [01:50:01] WHAT THOSE LITTLE NUANCES MIGHT BE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPACTS OF SOIL, THEREFORE IT'S PERVIOUS COVER AND LOT, LOT, LOT OF, BUT YOU CAN PUT IN LITTLE THINGS ABOUT LITTLE, LITTLE THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT COMMISSIONER FLORE SAID ABOUT ACCESS FOR STUFF, OR TEMPORARY THINGS FOR EVENTS. I, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THERE MAY BE LITTLE NUANCES THAT NEED TO BE PUT IN THERE THAT MAKES IT MORE ACCEPTABLE BY COUNCIL SO THAT WHEN IT SHOW UP, SHOWS UP BEFORE THEM, THEY'RE MORE WILLING TO VOTE FOR IT. WHEREAS IF YOU JUST PUT AN OUTRIGHT BAN, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE INUNDATED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA SAY, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO AN OUTRIGHT BIN. AND THEY'LL JUST PUT IT IN THE TRASH BIN SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH IT. BUT IF WE COME UP WITH A MORE NUANCED APPROACH TO IT, WE'LL COME UP WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, WE AS A GROUP WILL COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MORE ACCEPTABLE TO THE ENTIRE BODY. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANT IS, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO BAN THE ENTIRE THING, OR SOME OF US ANYWAY, UH, WANT TO BAN THE ENTIRE THING, WE WANT SOMETHING THAT ALSO WILL PASS. AND THAT'S THE END GOAL IS GETTING SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PASSED BY, UH, COUNCIL. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE, YOU KNOW, GET A WORKING GROUP TOGETHER TO KIND OF MASSAGE MM-HMM . IT A LITTLE BIT. SO THAT'S MY THOUGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FOR THE WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER BRISTOL'S SUPPORT. I THINK I'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT FORWARD THIS MOTION AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. ONE OF THE CONDITIONS IS CREATING A WORKING GROUP. IF IT PASSES, COOL. IF IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE UP THE WORKING GROUP QUESTION. OKAY, GREAT. SO I HAVE A MOTION. WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECEIVED STAFF PRESENTATION AND REPORT FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION REGARDING THE IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF, GRASS ON WATER QUALITY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND AUSTIN RESIDENTS. WHEREAS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED SEVERAL CONCERNS REGARDING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF, INCLUDING WORSENING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT WITH MICROPLASTIC PFAS AND HEAVY METALS REVERSAL OF PERCEIVED WATER CONSERVATION DUE TO THE NEED TO CLEAN AND COOL THE TURF DOWN WITH WATER, PARTICULARLY ON SPORTS FIELDS. HIGH INSTALLATION COSTS, PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS, SUCH AS INCREASED CONCUSSIONS, CHILDHOOD CANCER, ET CETERA. NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON SOIL HEALTH, INCREASED STORM STORMWATER RUNOFF, INCREASED LANDFILL WASTE, HIDDEN MAINTENANCE COST, INCREASED EROSION, NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON OVERALL TREE CANOPY AND SOIL HEALTH AND INCREASED IMPERVIOUS COVER. WHEREAS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF ALSO IDENTIFIED THAT NATURAL SOD REQUIRES PERIODIC SOIL AERATION OR REPLACEMENT IRRIGATION WITH OR WITHOUT RECLAIMED WATER AND SOMETIMES INVOLVES FERTILIZATION. THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE CITY OF AUSTIN BAN THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF WITH THE OPTION TO MAKE EXCEPTIONS. IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE MITIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE MET, OR ARTIFICIAL TURF IS THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES, THE CITY OF AUSTIN INITIATE A CODE AMENDMENT TO DEFINE ARTIFICIAL TURF AS IMPERVIOUS COVER. THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONDUCTS AN ANALYSIS OF ANY COMMERCIAL SPACES AND RESIDENTIAL LOTS CURRENTLY USING IMPERVIOUS COVER TO ASSESS WHETHER THEY ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR ALLOWED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS. THE CITY OF AUSTIN CREATES A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF GRASS AND ZURICH AND NATIVE PLANTING ALTERNATIVES THAT EXIST AND EXPLORE A BUYBACK PROGRAM FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF. THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CREATES A WORKING GROUP TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE REGULATIONS AROUND ARTIFICIAL TURF. IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED? NO. OKAY. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER C***K. SET. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH. CAN I ASK FOR CLARITY? SURE. SO YOU, YOU WERE YOU SAYING THERE'S A, A, A BAN ON TURF THROUGHOUT THE CITY OR JUST ON CITY OF AUSTIN? CORRECT. SO THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THEN THERE, UM, SO AFTER THERE'S A BAN TO MAKE EXCEPTIONS AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE MITIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE MET, OR ARTIFICIAL TURF IS THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES. SO BANDWIDTH EXCEPTIONS, MY ONLY CONCERN, AND I HAVEN'T NECESSARILY THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, SO I'M TALKING OUT LOUD, IT'S OKAY. YEAH. UM, DOES CONCRETE FIT THE SAME MEASURE? IT INCREASES URBAN HEAT ISLAND, IT'S DANGEROUS TO KIDS, IT'S DANGEROUS TO ROWS, BUT WE NEED IT TO LIVE MM-HMM . SO, UH, EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE BECAME PART OF THE NORM. IT'S POROUS, IT'S NEEDED IN SOME AREAS. AND SO I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED OF AN OUTRIGHT BAN ON ARTIFICIAL TURF THAT IT'S PAINTING UNFAIRLY THE BOOGEYMAN. WHEN THE GOAL IS REALLY IDENTIFYING THAT, HEY, HOW ARTIFICIAL TURF IS TODAY AS IT'S IMPERVIOUS, IT'S DANGEROUS AND IT'S CHEMICALS AND IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, MADE DIFFERENTLY. IT NEEDS TO BE [01:55:01] DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY, UH, OR AT A MINIMUM JUST BE IDENTIFIED AS IMPERVIOUS COVER SO PEOPLE AREN'T SKIRTING AROUND THE ISSUE. UM, AGAIN, SO THAT'S MY CONCERN IS THAT IT, UH, OTHER FOLKS ARE GONNA BRING UP THINGS LIKE CONCRETE OR SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT IS MAYBE MORE HARMFUL THAN ARTIFICIAL TURF. MM-HMM . I SEE THAT, YEAH. IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. I, I PERSONALLY SEE CONCRETE AND TURF AS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I WOULDN'T BE OPPOSED TO THIS SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER, OTHER THINGS AS WELL. BUT YEAH, I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T REALLY, LIKE, IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO LIKE, RIP UP PIECES OF CONCRETE AND LIKE HAVE THEM DISPERSE INTO THE CREEKS OR WHATEVER. WHEREAS WITH TURF IS LIKE RELATIVELY EASY TO DO THAT. AND I THINK ALSO CONCRETE, I'M NOT A BUILDING, UH, MATERIAL EXPERT, BUT I FEEL LIKE PFAS IS REALLY MORE OF LIKE A, A NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU ASSOCIATE WITH CONCRETE. RIGHT. YOU ASSOCIATE MORE WITH LIKE OTHER, WELL, OKAY, SO WE DON'T CHOOSE CAR, UH, CONCRETE, WE USE CARPET, YOU KNOW? RIGHT. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. EVERY BUILDING HAS CARPET IN IT AND, AND AGAIN, SO I'M JUST WORRIED OF AN OUTRIGHT BAN WHEN THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE PFAS THAT ARE DANGEROUS TO KIDS THAT DO THESE, THAT IT'S JUST, I I, I LIKE THE OPINION THAT IT, THAT, THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED MM-HMM . UM, AND I, I DO THINK WHAT'S CLEARLY IS THAT IT IS IMPERVIOUS COVER. IT, IT, THAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, CLEAR MADE SO THAT WHEN WE'RE CALCULATING IMPERVIOUS COVER VERSUS IMPERVIOUS COVER, THAT IT'S NOT A SCAPEGOAT OR A WORKAROUND. UM MM-HMM . IS, IS WHERE I'M AT TODAY. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NO. YEAH. UM, ARE WE ALLOWED TO POST, UH, LIKE A DOCUMENT ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE INDIVIDUALS, UH, EDIT IT? SO YOUR QUESTION IS, SO IF, UH, VICE CHAIR KRUGER SHARED THIS DOCUMENT, LIKE IN A GOOGLE DOC DOC AND THEN YOU ALL SHARED EXACTLY. SO THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED DOING WORK OUTSIDE THE MEETING. WHAT YOU COULD POTENTIALLY DO IS POSTPONE IT AND THEN SHARE IT, AND YOU EACH EDIT IT ON YOUR OWN AND THEN COME BACK AND SHARE IT. THAT COULD BE AN OPTION. THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO WORK THROUGH THAT IN A WORKING GROUP. RIGHT. AND IN A WORKING GROUP YOU COULD HAVE A SHARED DOCUMENT WITH FIVE PEOPLE. RIGHT. WELL, WHAT ABOUT, WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE DID POSTPONE THIS FOR THE, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING TO TAKE THAT RESOLUTION WHERE THE DOCUMENT IS SHARED AND INDIVIDUALS MAKE EDITS TO IT, AND THEN WE COME BACK IN TWO WEEKS? THAT SOUNDS FAIR. I KNOW NOW WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO GO TO A VOTE. BUT PEOPLE ARE WELCOME TO VOTE KNOW IF THAT'S THE COURSE THEY'D LIKE TO TAKE CHAIR BRISTOL. YEAH. UM, I THINK IF, AND I'M JUST GONNA PLAY OUT LIKE, UM, A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO HANDLE THIS. UM, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND WE HAVE A SECOND. UM, AND SO WE CAN EITHER HAVE AMENDMENTS TO THAT OR WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LET THAT ONE DIE, UM, AND, AND THEN GO TO JUST THE WORKING GROUP TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT MAYBE SOME OTHER PEOPLE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ON. SO THAT'S ONE WAY TO HANDLE IT. UM, EMBEDDED IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR A WORKING GROUP. UM, SO THAT, AGAIN, WOULD PUT SOME OF THESE THINGS TO GO FORWARD. UM, AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP WOULD ALSO COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. SO THOSE ARE THE THREE OPTIONS. UM, I FEEL LIKE FOR ME, I'M KIND OF, UM, FIRST OFF, LEMME JUST SAY EXCELLENT MOTION. JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE. UM, I, I FEEL LIKE THE WORKING GROUP COULD WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE NUANCES AND COME BACK PRETTY QUICKLY. LIKE, I DON'T THINK THIS HAS TO BE A, YOU KNOW, A LONG, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTH JOURNEY ON THIS THING. I THINK WE CAN COME BACK PRETTY QUICKLY, UM, ON THIS. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR OUTLINING THE OPTIONS, OUTLINING THE OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE. THAT'S HELPFUL. RIGHT. CAN, CAN I ASK ONE QUICK QUESTION? SURE. LIKE, IN YOUR RESOLUTION THAT YOU READ, YOU USED THE WORD PROHIBIT BAN, BAN, BAN. COULD THAT BE REPLACED WITH REGULATED ? I KNOW, TO ME, I THINK THAT CHANGES PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY. THE SPIRIT, AT LEAST OF WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT STRICTER LATER THOUGH, IS THE POINT. THAT'S TRUE. AND REGULATION IMPLIES THAT THERE COULD BE RESTRICTIONS IN SOME CASES AND NOT IN OTHERS. MM-HMM . BECAUSE I THINK CURRENTLY THERE IS NO REGULATION. RIGHT. RIGHT. [02:00:01] SO THAT WOULD STILL AT LEAST BE AN IMPROVEMENT IS BASICALLY YOUR ARGUMENT. RIGHT. COMMISSIONER BRIMER? YEAH. IF I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING TO CLARIFY SOMETHING YOU SAID, YOU SAID GO BY AND INSPECT AND REMOVE MM-HMM . IS THAT SOMETHING YOU SAID? OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SO I SAID THE CITY OF AUSTIN CONDUCTS AN ANALYSIS OF ANY COMMERCIAL SPACES AND RESIDENTIAL LOTS CURRENTLY USING IMPERVIOUS COVER TO ASSESS WHETHER THEY ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR ALLOWED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS. AND THE NEXT WAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN CREATES A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF, TURF GRASS, AND ZURICH AND NATIVE PLANTING ALTERNATIVES THAT EXIST AND EXPLORE A BUYBACK PROGRAM FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF. OKAY. NOW, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE WHOLE THING AND IF THIS WERE TO COME UP TO A VOTE, I WOULD VOTE FOR IT. BUT I WANT YOU TO CAREFULLY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE JUST READ. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE DISPATCHING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT EMPLOYED BY THE CITY AND HAVE TO BE MAYBE REDIRECTED FROM WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING TODAY, OR HAVE TO BE HIRED EITHER AS FTES OR AS CONTRACTORS TO DO THIS WORK. SO, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THIS IS, BUT LET'S JUST SAY WE DIG THIS UP AFTER WE VOTED DOWN PROPOSITION Q. OKAY, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT. NOW YOU'RE GOING TO KNOCK ON SOMEONE'S DOOR, HIS NEIGHBOR, AND YOU'RE GONNA TELL HIM TO DIG UP HIS FRONT YARD 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA SEIZE YOUR YARD. NOW THINK ABOUT THE REACTION OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WHEN YOU DO THAT. MM-HMM . LOT OF THEM THAT'S ARE GONNA, I THINK EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IS SO IMPORTANT. HUH? I THINK THAT'S WHY THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IS SO IMPORTANT. WELL, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T PRESCRIBED AN EDUCATION AND NOW YOU'VE BEEN EDUCATED. NOW WE'RE GONNA SEIZE YOUR PROPERTY. MM-HMM . YOU, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS IN THE VIEW OF SOME PEOPLE, YOU'RE GOING JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR IN SEIZING THEIR PROPERTY. NOW IT'S ONE THING TO GO IN. SO WITH THE BUYBACK PROGRAM, FOLKS WOULD HAVE THE OPTION. RIGHT. I, YOU KNOW, I, IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC. YOU CAN WORK IT HOWEVER YOU WANT AND I'LL VOTE FOR IT. MM-HMM . I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF YOU COME TO MY HOUSE AND TELL ME YOU'RE GONNA SEIZE MY PROPERTY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION PROBABLY IN DISTRICT COURT ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. AND THIS IS PROBABLY NOT THE WAY YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS TO CITY COUNCIL. YOU PROBABLY WANT TO LEAVE THAT SENTENCE OUT. YOU PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE A REALLY GENEROUS BUYBACK CAMPAIGN THAT SAYS WE'RE GONNA PLANT NATIVE GRASSES IN YOUR FRONT YARD, LIKE SOME PEOPLE UP STREET. RIGHT. THAT'S PART OF THIS LANGUAGE STREET AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME. AND WE'LL DO IT AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE. 'CAUSE THAT'S A LOT CHEAPER THAN GOING TO COURT. THAT'S, SO THAT'S PART OF THE SENTENCE. AND ZURICH AND NATIVE PLANTING ALTERNATIVES THAT EXIST SUCH AS THE YEAH. I TAKE OUT THAT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, I'M HAPPY TO CHANGE IT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. EXPLORES CONDUCTING. WELL, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. YEAH, I'LL VOTE FOR IT EITHER WAY, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA GO OVER WELL WITH THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN'S, UH, CHAIR BRISTOL. YEAH. I WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND, UM, AMENDING THAT SENTENCE TO SAY AN OPT-IN BUYBACK PROGRAM. SO THEN THAT MAKES IT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT ALLOWS THE LANDOWNER TO, YOU KNOW, OPT INTO THAT. UM, INSTEAD OF THE CITY COMING AND, AND, AND SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA RIP THIS OUT TOMORROW. UM, I'M, I'M A LITTLE MORE INTERESTED IN HOW DO WE PUT OUR ARMS AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. UM, AND, AND THEN IF THEY'RE GOING TO REPLACE THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S WORN OUT, THEY'RE READY TO REPLACE IT, UM, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION AT THAT POINT TO REPLACE IT. THEY HAVE TO GO WITH, YOU KNOW, NATIVE, UM, OR, OR SOD OPTION OR SOME SORT OF NATURAL OPTION. SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE AN OPT-IN. MM-HMM . YEAH. I'M HAPPY TO, TO TAKE THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. AND I ALSO INCORPORATED, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN EXPLORES CONDUCTING AN ANALYSIS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO SOFTEN THE LANGUAGE. OKAY. SO I THINK LET'S JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE VOTE. NO HARD FEELINGS EITHER WAY. UM, AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN SEE NEXT STEPS. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. UM, DO I NEED TO REREAD ANYTHING? OKAY. I THINK IT'S YOUR CALL AND THE COMMISSION'S CALL. IF YOU ALL ARE CLEAR ON WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON, WE'LL FEEL CLEAR. OKAY. GREAT. COMMISSIONER CHANG, [02:05:01] SET FOUR. COMMISSIONER FLURRY ABSTAIN. UM, SECRETARY QURESHI FOUR. COMMISSIONER MUTO, ODI FOUR FOR COMMISSIONER FIERRO FOUR. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. YES. FOUR. COMMISSIONER BRIMER. FOUR. UH, CHAIR BRISTOL. FOUR. OKAY. COMMISSIONER KRUEGER. AND I'M ALSO FOUR, SO MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. UM, SO PART OF THAT INCLUDED THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP. SO DO, SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT THOSE LOGISTICS NOW? GREAT. WHO'S INTERESTED? OH, GO AHEAD. CHAIR BRISTOL. OH, I WAS JUST, YEAH. OH, YOU'RE INTERESTED. I'M JUMPING IN TO SAY I'M INTERESTED . UM, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO BE PART OF, UH, THE WORKING GROUP. SO THERE WE GO. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M ALSO INTERESTED, BUT I'M HAPPY TO MAKE SPACE IF THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE INTERESTED AS WELL. UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. OH, COMMISSIONER FLURRY. GREAT. SO THAT'S 1, 2, 3, 4. SO THAT'S FOUR OF US. IS THERE ANOTHER PERSON WHO'S INTERESTED? OKAY. SO I THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. SHOULD WE, UM, DESIGNATE A CHAIR NOW FOR THAT OR SOMEONE TO COORDINATE? WORKING GROUPS DON'T REALLY HAVE CHAIRS. YEAH. THERE IS USUALLY A NATURAL, SOMEBODY WHO'S COORDINATING THE MEETINGS. OKAY. UM, SO THAT, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION. DOES IN A WORKING GROUP, DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A QUORUM OF THE WORKING GROUP? NO. IN ORDER TO MEET, NO. OKAY. THERE IS NOT. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW. YEAH, GOOD QUESTION. OKAY. AND I, I, I'M HAPPY TO COORDINATE. I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT SOUNDS GOOD. AND IF, UH, FOLKS WANNA THINK ABOUT IT AND ADD YOURSELF LATER, THAT'S ALSO AN OPTION. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON [4. Approve the creation of a working group to develop recommendations for the 2026-2027 City of Austin Budget. ] TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER FOUR, APPROVE THE CREATION OF A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 20 26 20 27 CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET. I THINK COMMISSIONER BRIER, DID YOU BRING THIS FORWARD? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK LAST YEAR OR THIS YEAR, I DON'T KNOW WHENEVER IT WAS, WE ADDRESSED THE, UH, BUDGET. I THINK WE HAD LIKE ALL OF 20 MINUTES TO REVIEW A BAZILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF, UH, FUNDING FOR, UH, WATERSHED. AND I HAD MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP TO MEET IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER TO PROVIDE INPUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD GET OUR OPINIONS AS TO WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT AND GET AN IDEA AS TO WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED WAS GONNA BE DOING. AND THAT WAY WE'D HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN OUR OPINIONS EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS SO THAT WHEN IT CAME BEFORE US FOR APPROVAL, UH, I DON'T KNOW, AUGUST OR I DON'T KNOW WHENEVER IT IS. UH, MARCH. MARCH, YEAH. THERE YOU GO. TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN. UM, SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE SOME MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, SAY SOMETHING IMPORTANT. SO THAT'S WHY I RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, GET TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP NOW RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, LATER ON. SO THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE THING. AND SO THAT, THAT'S IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR INTEREST FROM FELLOW COMMISSIONERS? I'LL JUST ADD, I SERVE ON A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMISSIONS AND THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE THAT I'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMISSIONS TO FORM A WORKING GROUP, UM, TO SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE IT CAN BE QUITE TIME CONSUMING AND TAKE SOME THOUGHT. SO I SUPPORT THE IDEA. I AGREE. ARE THERE FOLKS HERE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JOINING A WORKING GROUP? A BUDGET WORKING GROUP? I WOULD JOIN. GREAT. COMMISSIONER CHANG. SET. COMMISSIONER BRIER, I'M ASSUMING YOU, UH, YEAH, I'LL DO IT. WE, WE CAN MEET OVER COFFEE AND THEN DO THE BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT. WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S TWO OF US. HOW MUCH TROUBLE CAN THERE BE? YOU KNOW, WELL, I'D, I WOULD HELP. I WOULD TWO. OKAY. WELL, DAVE'S GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DOING THAT SORT OF STUFF, SO I WOULD, UH, YEAH. WELCOME HIS INPUT AS WELL. I'LL DRINK THE COFFEE AND I GUESS I'LL JOIN THE WORKING GROUP TOO. THERE YOU GO. OKAY, WELL, THERE YOU GO. THAT'S GREAT. SO THAT'S FOUR, WHICH IS WONDERFUL. ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED? OKAY, SO WITH THAT, I MEAN, I THINK WE NEED A SPECIFIC MOTION TO OH, GO AHEAD. YES. AND I THINK, OH, I'M SORRY. NO, NO, NO, YOU'RE GOOD. GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GONNA ASK IF I COULD GO, IF I COULD GO TO THE FIRST ONE, THE FIRST GROUP WORKING [02:10:01] GROUP YOU CAN ADD THERE. DEFINITELY, YOU CAN ALWAYS JOIN, DROP OFF AS NEEDED. OKAY. THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE INFORMAL OKAY. THAN THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND WITH THAT, THAT WOULD BE FIVE THOUGH, SO WE WOULD JUST NEED TO MONITOR THAT ONE. YEAH, WE CAN'T HAVE ANY MORE. YEAH. CAN'T HAVE ANY MORE FUN THAN THAT. OKAY. WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP? I MAKE A MOTION. WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP. YOU, YOU WANTED TO BE ON THE FIRST WORKING GROUP ABOUT ARTIFICIAL TURF? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO SAY? YEAH. OKAY. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR. OH, SORRY. THAT WAS NOT CLEAR TO ME. THANK YOU. AH, SO IS THAT WORKING GROUP? THAT'S ALSO AT FIVE NOW. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BRIER. OKAY. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE WORKING GROUP TO WORK WITH WATERSHED TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THEIR BUDGET FOR 26 27. SECOND. SECONDED BY CRUSHING. OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION THOUGH? I'M SORRY. SO IS IT ONLY WATERSHED BECAUSE LIKE WE HAVE, WE ALSO DO URBAN FORESTRY AND UM, COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS. UM, CORRECT. AND SO IN THE PAST, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS ALSO GIVEN PRESENTATION ON THE BUDGET. THEY HAVEN'T IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN YOU, YOU DO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT OVER ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS, UM, DRAINAGE, WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND DSD AND UM, AND THE URBAN FORESTRY, UH, RIGHT, SO THE COMMUNITY FORESTRY GROUP. RIGHT. SO COULD IT BE FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BASICALLY, OR THAT SUBSTANTIAL DO SUBSTANTIAL WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION? YEAH. WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK ON ON THAT. UM, I THINK YOU'VE, THIS BODY HAS GIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS ON WATERSHED'S BUDGET AND I BELIEVE DS D'S BUDGET AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW. SORRY, NOT DSD ANYMORE. AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE TWO. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE OTHERS BECAUSE MOST URBAN, WELL URBAN FORESTRY WAS MERGED, SPECIFICALLY WAS MERGED WITH, WITH OCAR, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, THE, OR THE URBAN FORESTRY. THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSION WAS MERGED WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, SO RIGHT. AND, AND THEY ARE IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. UM, WELL THE CITY OF ARBORIST HAS URBAN FORESTRY GROUP. THE PLANNING PART OF THAT HAS MOVED TO OFFICE OF, UH, CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCY. SO, WELL THAT'S ANOTHER ONE, GOOD ONE FOR US, . AND THEY HAVE AN OVERSIGHT COMMISSION AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, UM, IT WOULD BE RELATED ESPECIALLY TO THE CITY ARBORISTS TEAM, I WOULD SAY. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, JUST, JUST SO THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT BROADER THAN WATERSHED AS APPROPRIATE CHAIR BRISTOL. YEAH, I, UM, I SECOND COMMISSIONER SULLIVANS IN THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BROADER SO THAT IT'S, UM, EVERYTHING UNDER THE PURVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON THAT. AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU STATED EARLIER THAT THIS IS KIND OF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE AND MAYBE WE NEED TO GO A LITTLE FARTHER THAN JUST A WORKING GROUP. MAYBE THIS NEEDS TO BE A STANDING COMMITTEE. I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT, UM, LIZ, ELIZABETH JUMP IN THE COUNCIL ACTION, CORRECT? YES. TO MAKE A COMMITTEE, IT HAS TO GO TO THE FIRST AUDIT AND FINANCE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, AND THEN IT GOES ON TO COUNCIL. I WOULD SAY MOST OTHER COMMISSIONS DO THIS WORK VIA WORKING GROUPS, RATHER. MOST COMMISSIONS THAT I HAVE NOTICED, MAYBE IT'S NOT ALL, I DON'T KNOW. . OKAY, SO WE HAD A MOTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAD A SECOND. ARE WE ABLE TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE TO BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC? OH, WE GOT A SECOND. OKAY. SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE STILL GOOD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND WITH THE REFINED SCOPE OF PURPOSE AND LANGUAGE THAT WAS JUST ADDED. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO A VOTE. UH, COMMISSIONER CHIOTT FOUR. COMMISSIONER FLORY FOUR. SECRETARY KURESHI FOUR. SORRY, I WILL GET YOUR NAME, BUT THIS IS YOUR FIRST NIGHT. UH, COMMISSIONER MORTA OR FOR COMMISSIONER FIERRO? FOUR. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. FOUR. COMMISSIONER BRIMER FOUR CHAIR BRISTOL FOUR. AND I'M ALSO VOTING FOR, SO MOTION PASSES. GREAT. WITH THAT, WE'RE ON TO FUTURE [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ] AGENDA ITEMS. I HAVE ONE, YES. UH, SO I WANNA REQUEST FROM WATERSHED, UH, CURRENTLY IN MY DISTRICT, WE HAVE AN ISSUE AT NORWAY SPARK IN REGARDS TO THE DOCK POND. AND I KNOW THERE WAS LIKE A PRESENTATION GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IN REGARDS TO LIKE, WHAT ARE THE LONG AND SHORT TERM, UH, PROJECTS [02:15:01] ON THE WAY TO LIKE FIX WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND ALSO WITH THE RENOVATIONS OF THE PARK. AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE A GOOD TOPIC FOR US IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO LEARN ABOUT AND ALSO PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK WE HAVE ON BOTH OF THOSE, UH, POSSIBLE, UH, SOLUTIONS. OKAY. YEAH, I TOURED THE, UH, DUCK POND AND I ATTENDED THE, UH, D FIVE, D SEVEN, WHATEVER, UH, LOSE TRACK OF ALL OF THEM. UM, BUT I ATTENDED THOSE AND I THINK IT'D BE, UH, BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, THE, UH, DUCK POND AND THE FACT THAT IT'S KIND OF WITHERING AWAY AND, UH, SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT AND HOW, UH, PARD AND WATERSHED ARE WORKING TO, UH, REMEDIATE THE, UH, THE PROBLEM GOING FORWARD. SO I WOULD SECOND THAT. OKAY. SO COMMISSIONER FIRO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A STAFF REPORT ON THE RENOVATIONS AT THE NORTHWEST PARK DUCK POND, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YES. AND THE SHORT AND LONG TERM, UH, SOLUTIONS. OKAY, GREAT. YEAH, THERE WAS A, UH, I, I FORGET THE, UH, PERSON'S NAME FROM, UH, WATERSHED. IT WAS A PROJECT PLANNER. YOU PROBABLY CAN FIGURE IT OUT, BUT, UH, THERE'S ALREADY A PRESENTATION DEVELOPED, SO, UH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, UH, ROUNDING HER UP AND, UH, YEAH, WE WILL, YEAH. INTERRUPTING HER DINNER PLANS. . SO I KNOW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JANAE, UH, SPENCE HAS BEEN INVOLVED AND SHE HAS PEOPLE ON HER STAFF LOOKING AT IT, SO YEAH, WE WILL, WE WILL TALK TO THEM. YEP. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. WELL, WE HAVE A SECOND, SO WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ANY OTHERS? CHAIR, BRISTOL? UH, YEAH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE HOLIDAY PARTY AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT ACTUALLY IT COULD JUST BE AN EMAIL. , YOU'RE GETTING CHUCKLES OVER HERE. . OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD. I GOT, I'M READY. THE FOOD WAS GREAT LAST YEAR. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. KUSH OR FLURY ON MAYBE ANOTHER TOPIC. SO I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TOPIC YET, BUT IT CAME UP IN OUR LAST MEETING, UM, NOISE POLLUTION. MM-HMM. UM, AND I'M CURIOUS IF WHAT DEPARTMENT IS KINDA LOOKING AT THAT, UM, WITHIN THE CITY AND IF THAT'S Y'ALL, IT'S NOT WATERSHED, BUT YEAH, THERE, THERE, IT'S IN THE CODE DEPARTMENT, SO YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO TALK ABOUT THAT. YEAH, WE'VE HAD PRESENTATIONS IN THE PAST ON OKAY. NOISE BEFORE, IN PARTICULAR ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF AUSTIN, THEY'RE DOING A NEW TOLL ROAD WITH A DOUBLE DECK GOING OVER IT. AND I SWEAR IT IS SOMEHOW MAKING IT LOUDER MILES AWAY. YEAH. UM, IN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FROM THERE. AND I'VE JUST BEEN CURIOUS WHAT, UH, WHAT CITY LOOKS AT REGARDING NOISE POLLUTION. YEAH. PROBABLY NOT ROADWAYS UNFORTUNATELY, BUT YEAH, WE'LL WE CAN, WE CAN REACH OUT TO THAT DEPARTMENT. I WILL SAY ONE LITTLE NOTE, THE LOUDEST THING OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE IS THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FOR THE REC CENTER AT THE DOVE SPRINGS PARK. SO THERE'S A NOISY THING RIGHT THERE AND I'LL SECOND THAT. I'M INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE. GREAT. ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE. ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADJOURNMENT? ANY OBJECTIONS? HEARING NONE. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8:21 PM THANK YOU . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.